I Walked this Road
by Angel's Ink
Summary: Ginny Weasley has been gone for three years. Dead to those who loved her, she returns with a mission to tear down everyone and everything that stands in her way. But the past keeps calling her back and if she can find the strength to journey back along a road she's long since walked, she might be able to claim back her soul.
1. Chapter 1: Even the Bravest will Fall

**I Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

**A/N:** Hullo readers! Just dropping you a bit of a background shot so you don't get completely befuddled! This fanfic is set after Hogwarts and the war but Voldemort is not yet dead and his forces are gathering. Ginny has joined the order and works as a 'Circe' an elite Auror and has been sent on a mission with a small army of her own self-trained men. Draco has escaped his father's clutches and works under the Order's protection but he is not trusted enough to be made a member. His mother has been hidden away for her own safety…but nobody is really safe and even those held closest will betray everything for a price…

Without further ado, I give …  
**Chapter One: Even the Bravest will Fall**

"_Remember that happiness is a way of travel - not a destination"_

Screams shattered the air and she could hear the flurry of wands in the heat of a raging battle. Streaks of light, caused by the casting of spells, were the only relief from utter darkness and yet she could still see her men falling down in the mud all around her. Once innocent faces lay empty, the horror or war still echoing in the void of their eyes, and she choked back a scream. Rough hands grabbed her shoulders, dragging her to the ground, covering her body from the onslaught of curses.

'Ginny, you need to get out!' He shouted his light hair falling across her face softly.

'No!' Ginny spat, attempting to get back up but his body pinned her down.

His silvery eyes turned desperate as he swept back her hair, caressing her face and tracing each of her scars briefly. 'Please, don't stay here.'

'I can't leave my men!' she cried over the clashing over battle overhead.

He cursed under his breath, 'I can't protect you from here.'

'So?' she demanded. 'I'll look after myself!'

'And if they kill you?' he hissed, rolling them to the side to avoid a well-aimed hex. 'What am I supposed to do then?'

'Have some faith, I won't get killed.' Her eyes blazing he knew there was no arguing she was too stubborn.

'I'm so sorry,' he murmured, 'please forgive me.' A strange emotion flickered over her ravaged features and for a moment he hesitated before bending down to whisper in her ear. 'I love you.'

Understanding dawned in her eyes as he pulled out his wand. 'No! Please don't, please no!' she screamed as she thrashed against him, desperately struggling to get free. 'Don't make me go back, I need to be here!' she sobbed. 'You promised, you said you'd never let me go- not now, please!' she begged, scrambling to knock his wand out the way but he murmured the curse all the same, his heart flooding with hopelessness as a dullness glazed over her fiery amber eyes and her head lolled to the side.

Ginny Weasley had forgotten.

~  
Three years later.

There was someone following her, of that she was sure. The shadows flickered slightly and her head snapped to left. Whoever they were, they were good. Spreading her legs she took up an offensive position knowing she couldn't make the first move till they revealed themselves. She made a quick assessment of her surroundings; the open field was good space wise but left little place to hide or run and she had a feeling she'd be doing both. The cover of the woods was at least thirty metres away which would have been ideal but the sun was already dipping behind the horizon and Ginny knew the woods too well to dare an escapade at night. Over all, her location lowered her chances of survival by seven to eight per cent which meant she'd have to rely on her skill and the weapons at her disposal.

Suddenly Ginny ducked to avoid a beautifully aimed curse that streaked just over her head. Crouching down she crawled to her left; judging by the curse's point of origin he attacker was less than ten metres away and shooting from the right. Based on the choice of curse, which she'd been able to identify as a binding spell, her attacker was male but he did not have the intention of killing which left two options; capturing or interrogating. Neither option particularly appealed to Ginny so she risked a sprint to the left, a stunning curse immediately erupted, scraping against her cheek forcing her to fall back to the ground. Cursing irately she scrambled to her feet, spitting out clumps of earth, and faced her opponent. Her prediction had been proved correct he was male, tall, well-muscled and definitely the stronger of the two. But strength certainly wasn't the be-all and end-all of combat; speed and agility were highly prized too, and Ginny had both. Swinging low she lashed out with her right leg; aiming for his calf to destabilise his balance but he seemed to have anticipated her move and despite her split second advantage he dodged to the left with an admirable display of flexibility.

But as his feet touch the ground again his foot caught on a slight ridge and he stumbled, just for a moment, but it was enough time for Ginny to swing her fist out and make contact with his jaw, smirking slightly at the loud 'pop' that indicated she had at least dislocated it. But in her split second pause he reached out, twisting her arm right up around her back so her fingers brushed against her shoulder bone. She cried out in pain and shock but managed to bring her foot down hard against his- a highly underrated move that reaped the best results- and he flinched back, swearing in a strange language. Ginny flipped back around, her body already in motion, and swung a perfect kick into his stomach and using his shock to her advantage proceeded to smash her palm into his temple.

He doubled over and Ginny, in the conceit of her prowess, stepped forward- big mistake. His hand lunged forward, twisting her ankle and forcing her to the ground. He wasted no time in jumping on top her to prevent her escape, pinning her arms down behind her sides. A small grin flitted across his hard features, concealed behind a mask, as she continued to struggle against his hold; this girl had nerve. He pulled out his wand and had it up against her throat in seconds, his breathing still ragged; she'd put up a good fight.

'Who are you?' she spat violently.

'I'll trade you,' he said calmly, 'an answer for an answer.' She looked at him with incredulity, her blazing amber eyes making him flinch back.

'Fine,' she hissed, 'what do you want to know?'

'Why you dropped your wand and used physical combat methods,' he answered earning himself yet another incredulous look.

'Wands make you vulnerable,' she replied, urged on by his questioning glance, 'because if you're relying upon your wand it's probably too late for you to be safe. My body won't fail me in that way.'

'Look around you,' he taunted, 'I don't think you're exactly in a desirable position, do you?'

'It's not so bad,' she replied a strange smirk playing with the corners of her mouth.

He raised a cynical eyebrow, 'What makes you so confident?'

She leaned forward slightly and murmured, 'I could kill you in one second flat.' He snorted but she just said, 'You've left your blind side open.' He followed her eyes down to his side where she had her wand digging into his back. 'I asked you who you are?' she repeated coolly. He pulled back his mask still in shock, revealing silvery blue eyes and silky, platinum blonde hair that fell across her face softly. 'Malfoy?' she choked back.

He nodded coolly but said in reply, 'Your turn.'

Ginny flicked her wand slightly and the concealment charm fell away to reveal her tumbles of red curls and glittering eyes. Malfoy froze for a second just staring but then suddenly he flinched back, scrambling to his feet and stumbling backwards.

'Ginny?' he asked, his voice hoarse.

'I don't remember giving you leave to use my first name,' she spat at him, confused by his reaction.

'You don't remember,' he muttered to himself, 'of course.'

'What are you doing here? This is Weasley territory,' Ginny demanded, her eyes narrowing into slits.

'Running patrol,' he replied, his eyes still wide in shock.

'Running patrol?' she asked stupidly.

'For the Order,' he explained, a little colour returning to his hollow cheeks. 'How did you-'

'You're in the Order?' Ginny scoffed, her wand never wavering from its offensive stance.

'A lot has changed since you disappeared,' he murmured and Ginny fell silent for the first time. She'd been gone for three years and she didn't remember a second of it.

'I remember prep for battle in the ministry,' she murmured, 'and then I woke up in a field a million miles away,' she said, barely registering the way he flinched at her words. 'After that there's only bits and pieces; like getting on a train for Paris and then Rome…and then nothing,' she said frowning. 'When I try to remember I get this funny feeling like…I shouldn't…and then…but…,' she started to stumble over her words and then without warning she crumbled to the ground; her body still.

'Where'd she go? I mean for three years? She wouldn't just leave…'

'Maybe, but war changes people…more importantly, what did she do?'

'Or who was she with? God, can you imagine explaining this to mum?'

'Dad will be worse. You don't think the death-eaters…nah, couldn't have been.'

Ginny smiled a little at the last comment, it was the voice of Ron- she could always tell when he was nervous or scared; he'd instantly dismiss the worst possible theory his mind could conceive.

'Did you see that?'

'What?'

'Her eyes, they just fluttered- I swear!'

'Ron, she'll be out for a few more hours, I need to talk to Draco.'

'Shame,' Ginny mumbled, 'I thought you might have missed me, Bill.'

'Ginny!' a hundred cries went up as she roused, squinting in the light trying to regain focus. Four faces with familiar red hair appeared in front of her and she managed a weak grin.

'Hi guys, I'm back.'

'What happened, Gin? - I mean, where have you been? - What were you doing? How come you never contacted us?' Charlie and Ron shot about a hundred questions at her unanimously but it was Bill who waved them away, a rare stern expression on his face.

'Leave her be,' he warned, pointing a finger at the two culprits. 'She needs her rest.'

'No I don't,' Ginny argued, sitting up, trying to ignore the dizziness. 'I need answers.'

'That can wait,' George said firmly, speaking for the first time.

Ginny pouted but none of their expressions changed. 'Fine,' she muttered looking around properly for the first time. 'Where's Draco?' she asked suddenly, noticing his absence.

'Finishing patrol, I think,' Charlie said unconcernedly. 'He dragged you back in here, half dead, leaving Mundungas in his place,' he said, rolling his eyes.

'Oh,' she murmured, secretly glad of his absence.

'What we need to know is-' George began but Ginny cut him off.

'I know, where I've been, what I've been doing and why I haven't contacted you,' she muttered, a depressed feeling curdling inside. 'Was that all of it, Ron?' Her question was met with a sheepishly apologetic smile from her brother. 'I don't remember though, I've tried, I've really tried but…nothing.'

'Draco told us what happened,' Bill said, 'he says you can remember up to your last mission; at the ministry.' Ginny nodded and he added in a strangled voice, 'But Gin, that's three years ago.' Ginny nodded again.

'I know,' she murmured softly.

'He also said you passed out after he pressed you for details,' George said and Ginny looked down at her bed covers, a little ashamed. 'We think whoever you were with put a powerful spell on you to stop you remembering.'

'But why not kill me?' she asked, her brow crinkling in confusion. 'Why let me come all this way back?'

'Maybe they still need you alive and…here,' Ron whispered, averting his gaze.

'But that means,' she stopped short, glancing around at all her brothers none of which had approached her and she noticed her wand had been taken away. 'I'm dangerous…I'm a weapon.'

'No,' Bill said suddenly, coming towards her. 'It just means you were too good for them.'

'No-one's too good for the Circle.' A voice sounded from the doorway and Ginny looked up, her gazer locking with a silvery-grey scrutiny.

'Stop,' Bill said firmly but Draco stepped inside the room, his presence filling it up and making it hard for her to breathe.

'The Circle?' Ginny asked, confusion replacing her fear.

'An elite order of death-eaters; Voldemort's inner circle, if you like,' Draco explained with a dark look.

'How do you know I was with them- I can't even remember anything?'

'Those moves you used out there are unlike any I've ever seen, except,' he said breaking off with a covert glance at Bill that did not go unnoticed by Ginny.

'Except?' she demanded.

'Except by my uncle Ivankov, a death-eater,' he added bitterly.

'And he was a member of this…Circle?' Draco nodded.

'Your battle strategies were brilliant and you executed them perfectly,' he said with a calculating look.

'So?' she asked defensively, 'anyone could have trained me'.

'But your intent was to kill,' he added quietly, 'only one group teaches that…mentality.'

Ginny was shocked into silence. She'd reacted by instinct, lashing out in a way that she knew had been drilled into her head hundreds of times. And Draco was right, she hadn't realised it but she had meant to kill him if she got the chance.

'But I didn't,' she said looking around at her brothers. 'I didn't kill you, I had the chance but I didn't. Why not?'

'The Circle wouldn't train you without a purpose. You may not consciously be aware of it but you have a mission- a deadly mission- but it also means they can't have completely wiped your memory because you remembering things; your training and such.'

'How to kill,' Ginny spat. Was she a killer? Without even knowing it?

'But you didn't,' Bill said emphatically. 'That's the point, you're remembering what they taught you but you're also remembering something more important; who you are.'

A silence settled over the room as every eye turned to Ginny.

'I have to get back to headquarters,' Draco said suddenly, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. 'Hermione has to send in her report, she got back from Romania this morning and I need to view it over first.' He nodded to Charlie and Bill before turning to leave.

'Draco?' Ginny called out without realising. He stopped but didn't turn to face her as if there was something written on his face that he didn't want her to see. 'Thank you' she murmured simply watching as he strode away.

'Get some rest, Gin,' George said as the rest turned to leave.

Ginny sank back into the bed and allowed a peaceful drowsiness lull her to sleep.

**A/N: **Hullo, again! Well I hope that was enjoyable…please leave me your thoughts and whatnots so I can be inspired to write another chapter! That little review button just down there is _begging_ to be pressed and I'd hate for you to leave it so unhappy! If you have any questions or confusions check out my little 'summary setting' up the top! Check in soon for the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2: Remembrance is Regret

**We Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

Without further ado, I give …  
**Chapter Two: Remembrance is Regret**

'It doesn't work that way,' a voiced said, laced with amusement but there was an underlying warning. Ginny flipped around, knocking the stranger of his feet and backed him up against the wall- wand quivering in her hand. 'They told me you got back,' Harry said with a grin as Ginny stared down at startling green eyes hidden under a mass of tussled, black hair. She let her wand drop immediately, backing off with a genuine smile written all over her face.

'Harry,' she said warmly as he stepped forward and wrapped his strong arms around her. She breathed in deeply, resting her head on his shoulder. He stepped back to take a better look at her, his brow crinkling as he took in her numerous cuts and bruises.

'You look like hell,' he said. And while that once might have earned him a not-so-playful punch, Ginny just laughed; glad to have someone around who wasn't molly-coddling her.

She shrugged and added with a smirk, 'That's what happens when you're a badass warrior.'

Harry smiled, 'Yeah, I heard you took out Malfoy; that's…impressive.'

'Wow, praise from the Chosen One? How did those words taste coming out of your mouth?' she asked with a laugh and Harry rolled his eyes. 'Besides it's Malfoy…anyone could take him down.'

Harry shook his head with a strange expression, 'Just shows how long you've been gone,' he murmured. 'Ginny, the man's a legend when it comes to combat.'

Ginny snorted with a hint of derision, 'Since when have you been on team Draco?' Harry grimaced and shrugged; conceding her point.

'So, mind telling me why you were trying to escape when you just got back?' He asked, leaning back against the wall with a slight inclination to a little black box in the corner.

Ginny sighed exasperatedly, 'I can't believe Charlie put an escape detector on the door.'

'And one on your bedroom window…so where were you going?'

'I'll trade you,' Ginny said with a grin as Harry rolled his eyes again, 'An answer for an answer.' He nodded indulging her. 'Okay, what are you doing here?'

'Kingsley had me stationed here for extra protection and it just so happened I got put on exit patrol,' he explained with a wry smile.

'And you didn't come say 'hey'?' Ginny demanded in mock outrage, propping a hand on her hip.

'Just got here,' Harry replied briskly, ignoring Ginny's raised eyebrow, 'your go.'

'You know I go for walks at dawn, remember?'

Harry shook his head but his eyes were laughing. 'Sure I do, but your brothers don't so let's get back inside before they lock us both up, under suspicion of a teenage rendezvous.'

'In your dreams, Potter,' Ginny snorted but allowed herself to be hurried inside. She paused for a moment at the doorway, turning back to face Harry who just fell short of smacking into her. 'When did Draco join the Order?'

Harry looked surprised but answered all the same, 'I heard about your amnesia but I'd of thought you'd remember…just before your mission to the Czechoslovakian ministry the Order decided to induct him…as your mission partner.'

'I went on missions with Malfoy?' Ginny asked, shocked. 'Why did he not say…'

Harry looked pained, 'Gin, the Czechoslovakian mission was the last time any of us saw you, Draco was in charge of your protection and you were leading the advance.'

'I remember prep for that,' Ginny stammered, unsure, 'but nothing about Malfoy…why did they still induct him after I disappeared?'

'Times changed,' Harry shrugged, 'you were gone, the Order needed new recruits and…I went crazy.' He said it calmly, his face passive and devoid of distress.

'Well that makes two of us,' Ginny murmured as she reburied her head in his shoulder.

'Well you better think up something better than that for Hermione,' Harry said with a chuckle, 'She went insane when she found out you were back, Lupin had to restrain her from marching right over here.' Ginny grimaced; oh boy. Smiling, Harry slung his arm over her shoulder and the pretty pair made their way back into the house.

Ginny slumped slightly over her breakfast, anxiety stealing away her appetite. In the next room she could hear Harry whispering hurriedly with Lupin and she knew he was trying to explain her attempted escape…probably with a better excuse than 'walks at dawn.' She was glad Harry had been one of the first to visit; very few people knew about her disappearance and for safety even fewer would be notified of her return.

George stared at her intently from the kitchen counter and with a sigh she picked up her spoon and forced herself to slurp up the lumpy porridge. None of her brothers had any talent in the kitchen except for Fred who just had this weird knack for it. Mrs. Weasley had entrusted Ginny with the secrets of her kitchen on Ginny's sixteenth birthday and Ginny had been every bit as good as her mother. She shook her head sadly; she missed her mum.

The door banged open loudly and both Harry and Lupin entered the kitchen with reasonably calm expressions. Harry grabbed slice of toast from the bread basket and leaned back against the counter next to George. Lupin pulled up a chair opposite from Ginny with a slightly guilty expression and Ginny inwardly groaned.

'Now Ginny, Harry's just been explaining your early morning escapade,' Lupin explained in a strained voice. Ginny shot a piercing glare at Harry; what had he been saying? 'And of course it's perfectly normal that you must be craving extra exercise. After your impressive display last week, we understand you must have been following a rather intense schedule.' Ginny sighed, this had been about the only information the Order had been willing to surrender and she'd heard it a thousand times before, she just couldn't remember it. 'Now as we have discussed, we have asked Professor Snape to utilise his skills in legillimency to attempt to extract some of the hidden memories, but until the time when he returns we have decided on a new…uh, regime that might help your memory.'

'Right,' Ginny muttered, still glaring at Harry.

'Your skills are obviously impressive and coupled with Draco's knowledge we think you would make a good team,' he said lightly.

'Good team for what?' Ginny asked, suspicion ringing out in every syllable as George leapt up, anger blazing across his face.

'Well, we thought that you could train the new recruits for field work,' Lupin said with a quick glance at George that did not go unmissed by Ginny.

'No,' she said simply, turning back to her breakfast and George seemed to relax for a moment.

'Pardon me?' Lupin asked politely, shock clearly evident.

'No, thank you,' she repeated. 'I don't much fancy it. I'm not going to work with Malfoy.' More shock at her words except this shock seemed to go a little deeper as if everything about Ginny (or at least the old Ginny) had slipped away from under his feet.

'But-' he began.

'Are you insane?' George burst out, coming towards Lupin. 'You'd put my sister next to _him_?' Ginny was confused, surely everyone in the Order trusted Draco. She thought she'd been the only one, in fact she distinctly remembered George speaking lightly with him in the hallway the other night. What was up?

'Things have changed.' Lupin replied evenly, 'it won't be like last time.'

'Last time?' Ginny looked up, even more confused. 'What happened last time?' But no-one was listening to her.

'Do you even remember what happened last time?' George demanded, his anger growing. 'Or what she said?' he shot a brief glance at Ginny.

'I remember perfectly,' Lupin answered a little irritated.

'It's sick,' George said with disgust, 'to do it to either of them.'

'Either of us, what?' Ginny demanded feeling very out of the loop and not liking it one bit.

Lupin stared at George for a moment later before turning back to Ginny and calmly asking, 'Have you made your decision, Miss. Weasley?' Ginny made to repeat her previous answer but fell short, pausing. On one hand she despised the idea of working with Malfoy and yet on the other she was desperate to uncover some of her past and if the ex-Slytherin was a key piece well then…so be it.

'Fine, I'll do it,' she found herself answering resolutely. George shook his head, rubbing his temple and striding out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Lupin watched him go, unmoved but Ginny's eyes were trained on Harry; had this really been his idea?

'What's going on?' Bill was standing in the door way, looking after George. Ginny slumped further in her chair; if George hadn't liked the idea Bill was going to hate it all the more. Stirring her porridge morosely Ginny wandered why her family were so intent on hiding the past.

Draco was avoiding her, she could tell. He'd left after the night of her return and had only been back a handful of times- each time he'd just watched her quietly, out of the corner of his eye and she'd even begun to wonder if he was taking her possible role as a 'threat' more seriously than the rest. What part could he have played in her life to make it so difficult to look her in the eye, three years later? Or maybe that was just it; three years later.

She'd felt unsure about proposing the recently (and most reluctantly) approved plan for combat training so she'd asked Lupin to pass on the word yesterday evening just as he left. She'd received no reply from him but Harry had visited with news that the recruits were coming in on Thursday and she was to meet with Draco at the large safe house on outskirts of London's metropolitan. Kingsley and the others had not been quick to approve the idea and she knew they were worried that Ginny's training may prove dangerous…that this would make her more dangerous than ever. The thing was Ginny didn't feel dangerous; sure she felt secure in the knowledge that she had the ability to take down almost anyone but she also felt scarred, damaged and weak. It was disconcerting.

'Bullocks, Ginny they don't know what they're talking about,' Harry had replied when she voiced her worries to him.

'But the way they look at me…like I mighty lash out at any second,' Ginny persisted with a shake of her head. Harry averted his gaze, concentrating on attaching a large scroll of parchment to a rather irate owl. 'They know something and they're not telling me,' Ginny finished, glaring at Harry and forcing him to meet her gaze.

'Don't be stupid, the Order is scared for you not of you,' Harry replied, gently sliding his hand along her arm. But Ginny turned away, irritated.

'Okay then, tell me what's on the scroll?' she demanded, flicking a glance at the owl that was shaking its leg profusely in an attempt to disentangle itself from the parchment.

'An outline for Thursday's training session,' Harry answered without missing a beat. As far as Ginny could tell he was telling the truth; living with six older brothers she'd learned quickly to discern a liar.

'Hmph,' she said by way of reply before turning back to him. 'Why don't I get an outline?' she asked indignantly.

'We need Malfoy's approval first,' Harry explained lightly as they watched the bird take flight, rather outbalanced by the attachment.

'Oh, I'd forgotten we were referring to his Lordship, Malfoy,' Ginny muttered sarcastically. Harry flinched and she rounded on him, hair flying wildly in the motion. 'Oh for Merlin's sake! Why does everybody react so strangely when I have a go at Malfoy?'

Harry paused, and he looked as if he was considering his next words very carefully. 'You were his mission partner for a year, Ginny, you got to know each other…and you had fun, I guess.' Ginny cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. 'Don't give me that look,' Harry said teasingly, wrapping an arm around her waist as she shivered in the cold.

'What look?' Ginny asked pointedly, as if advising him to contemplate his choice of words _extremely_ carefully.

'That look that tells me multiple stories; that your peeved because I dragged you out in the cold morning, to send a letter to your arch nemesis and then tell you off for being so disapproving.' Harry grinned and Ginny scowled.

'Don't forget I can thrash your butt any day,' Ginny warned but she snuggled into his warm jacket all the same. Harry smiled contentedly.

'Is that all you two ever talk about?' A new voice came floating round the corner and Fred Weasley came into view looking slightly dishevelled but just as mischievous as ever. 'Rear ends and such?'

'Fred!' Ginny squealed, sprinting forward and throwing herself into his arms. He spun her around, laughing, until she begged to be put down.

'Don't know what you're talking about, mate,' Harry replied with a grin as the two embraced.

'Well I do,' Fred answered with an air of pretentious seriousness.

'Anyone new arrived?' Harry asked, moving the conversation along.

'No, but Dawkins won't make it tonight,' Fred paused shooting Ginny a look but Harry nodded for him to continue. 'Apparently he's off chasing down a rogue ministry official...something to do with the Trillian Organisation.'

'The Trillians?' Ginny asked. 'I thought they were all hunted down in the massacre.'

'They were but it's possible their descendants survived,' Fred explained darkly.

'But that means,' Ginny paused, stepping back in shock, 'they'll be people we know.'

'What?' Harry demanded sharply.

'Maybe we should move this discussion along to the meeting,' Fred suggested. The three trudged back towards the house, Ginny shaking her head stubbornly every time Harry pressed her for an explanation. As they approached the dining room which had been set up for Order purposes, Kingsely stretched out his hand to stop Ginny.

'She doesn't go through.'

'What?' Ginny demanded, angrily. 'I've been a part of the Order for four years!' But Kingsley just shook his head solemnly.

'She has information about…Dawkins' mission,' Harry explained in a hushed tone. After a long calculated look from Kingsley and a lot of huffing from Ginny, she was allowed entrance. Nine people sat around the large oak table, littered with maps, scrolls and newspaper articles; George, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Lupin, Mundungas, Tonks, Malfoy and Dean Thomas, Ginny recognised the tall, dark skinned wizard with a start. He shot her a warm smile and Ginny waved back, happy to see her former fellow Gryffindor.

'Right, we have information that the Death-eaters struck again in Norway,' Bill began, 'they killed a young woman, and her two children. As far as we can tell they had no connection to the Trillians or,' he paused to shoot a calculating look at Ginny, 'the Circle.'

'Then why attack?' Dean asked, 'Our last reports showed they were travelling South, Norway would mean a complete detour.' Ginny nodded; it didn't make sense.

'It's possible that they were leaving fake trail in our last report in an effort to throw us off the chase,' Lupin argued reasonably.

'But then why send the same deatheaters to Norway?' Ginny demanded and everybody turned to look at her. 'Surely the point of a fake trail is to distract the opponent so they don't notice another operation taking place.'

'Zat is a good point,' Fleur commented, tossing her golden hair in Ginny's direction. Bill shifted uncomfortably but no-one made any objection.

'Are you suggesting that the attack in Norway was spontaneous?' Lupin asked.

'Yes, I think they were intending on going South but something important happened and they changed course,' Ginny explained.

'But what could have happened?' Charlie asked but nobody around the table seemed to have an answer.

A loud cough from Lupin brought the table out of its reverie and Kingsley motioned to Ginny. 'I believe you have something on Dawkins' case.'

'What?' Draco demanded sharply turning his back to Ginny and facing Kingsley. 'Who told her of that.'

'What does it matter?' Tonks asked exasperatedly, 'She knows now so let's just listen.'

'Go on, Ginny,' Lupin motioned slightly with his hand that she should continue. She shot a quick look at Draco before beginning who was looking stony faced at the table, a hard looking simmering in his charcoal eyes.

'Well you reckon that some descendants of the Trillians might have survived and, I'm assuming, in light of Voldemort's return are regathering,' she paused and her gaze flickered around the room for assent. Lupin nodded and she continued a little anxious, 'Well in did a quick mental calculation and the only Trillian descendants that could, realistically speaking, still be alive would be my age or a little older…people we went to school with.'

'What are you suggesting we do with such information?' Fred asked but his question was directed at Kinglsey.

'_I _think,' Ginny began indignantly, 'we should run back ground searches on everyone; find out where they are, who they're with and what they're doing.'

Lupin nodded, 'I'll assemble a research squad, and in the meantime the meetings will have to hold off until Dawkins gets back.' Kinglsey nodded and there was a loud scraping of chairs as everybody got up to leave. Harry gave her a pat on the back with a murmured, 'well done,' before he too exited the room. Draco lingered to give Ginny a long look.

'Training starts on Thursday don't be late.' He paused and then a small smirk emerged, playing around with the corners of his mouth. 'Wear something protective, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself again.' The last word was dripping with irony and something more- a challenge.

'You too,' Ginny said with a wry smile, 'I do like to play rough.'


	3. Chapter 3: Retracing Footsteps

**We Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

Without further ado, I give …  
**Chapter Three: Retracing Footsteps **

'I'm going to miss you,' Ginny said quietly, her hair fluttering in the breeze, all messy and knotted.

'Nah, you'll be too busy to miss me,' Harry shook his head with a wry laugh and Ginny sighed in frustration.

'Yeah right,' she answered with a toss of her head, 'because I'm just drowning in all the missions and operations they've been offering me.' She scuffed her shoes about in the muddy ground.

Harry reached out and grabbed her cold hand with his warm fingers, 'It'll be alright, these things just take time.'

'Harry, I used to lead battles, plan strategies, have men follow my command and now I can barely even attend meetings and there's always someone watching me- don't think I didn't notice Dean tailing me yesterday.'

Harry grinned and shook his head lightly, 'I told them you were too good for that.'

Ginny grumbled, 'It's actually quite insulting- as if I couldn't spot a basic tailing tactic.'

'Some of us are just a bit hard to please,' Harry joked and Ginny scowled at his gentle banter. 'Ah, I'm going to miss you too, Gin- won't be the same without your endless wit.' Ginny shot him a cutting glare but she was holding back a smile.

'Arry, zey are waiting for you at zee portkey!' Fleur stuck her head out the back door, with a stern expression.

'Be right there!' Harry called and turned back to Ginny with a concerned look.

'Go!' she flapped her hands at him carelessly, 'Go play with the big kids!' Harry rolled his eyes and then bent over to kiss her on the forehead. 'You'll be late, and Malfoy will be waiting impatiently for me,' she said waving away his affection, concealing the odd wrenching feeling she was experiencing,

Harry turned to leave and then turned back with a slightly apprehensive look, 'You'll play nice, won't you?'

'We'll see.'

...

'You're late.'

'Hello to you too,' Ginny muttered as turned on the spot, having just apparated, and approached a tense Malfoy.

'When you place your allegiance with the Order, it's an expectation that you obey commands,' Draco instructed as he turned to continue onwards. 'If this were an operation your lateness could have cost agents their lives.'

'You forget, I've been a member for far longer than you have,' she retorted sharply.

'_I _haven't forgotten anything,' Draco reminded her darkly.

'So tell me what you remember,' she suggested lightly. She had been planning on leading in slowly; gently breaking down his defences and then striking but her eagerness had gotten the better of her.

'What?' he asked confused but not all together surprised. Maybe Harry had been right, he did know her pretty well.

'I want you to tell me something, anything,' she commanded and then her expression softened, 'please.'

He sighed and for the first time her turned and faced her directly but she could still see it was a struggle for him, 'What should I tell you? If you're looking for an excuse to hate me- you'll find one,' he creased his brow and added wryly, 'no matter what I tell you.'

Ginny decided to let the comment pass and kept pressing forward, 'How did you come over to our side?'

Draco's jaw clenched and Ginny wandered if she'd already gone too far but then he relaxed. 'That's not a story you want to hear.'

'Why not?' she asked cautiously.

Draco's eyes flickered from the side street but Ginny never tore her gaze away from his face, she knew a surveillance sweep when she saw one and she wasn't worried she knew how to keep all eyes, everywhere, all at once. 'The trainees are waiting, we should hurry.'

Ginny came to an abrupt stop and Draco paused to swivel around to her an impatient look simmering across his hard features. 'You've already told me the story before haven't you?' a determined look swept across her face and her eyes took on a new blaze. 'I will remember, I must remember,' she muttered harshly more to herself than anyone else.

Draco reached out to touch her arm but then pulled back, looking at his hands as though they surprised him- like he'd suddenly remembered how to do something. 'Some things are better left unremembered.'

Ginny nodded and turned back towards him and they continued down the pathway in silence. Draco stopped when they came to the end of the road and Ginny peered around curiously- there was nothing but a vacant block. She opened her mouth, ready to release a witty retort about at least being able to remember the way to a safe house when a strange feeling took over her. Like nostalgia and the awful queasiness of riding a roller coaster too many times.

'It's a concealment charm, isn't it?' she asked a little awestruck at the vast immensity of the spell.

'And a damned powerful one at that two,' Draco murmured as he stepped forward and stretch out his open palm, it seemed to hit a solid surface though none could be seen and the air appeared to vibrate. Ginny stumbled backwards as the ground seemed to tremble beneath her. A small trail of smoke erupted from the place where Draco's palm had been, which had since returned to his side, and danced across the air, slowly forming letters.

'What is it?' Ginny asked, transfixed by the apparition.

'Do you remember Professor Flitwick? He's one of ours now and this was a little invention he came up with. The letters will slowly form words and the words a riddle- with an answer only a true member of the order can recognise.'

'Brilliant,' Ginny muttered, not entirely sure she understood the concept. 'But is that it, the only protection?'

Draco shook his head ruefully, 'I disarmed a dozen protective spells while I waited on you and there's still the anti-concealment charm and dark detector spells to get through.'

'_What can be seen best in the darkest of darks, when all else is invisible?' _The words had finally formed and Ginny could hear them whispering inside her head, it was terrifying but impossibly intriguing.

Draco rubbed his chin brusquely and turned back to Ginny. 'Any thoughts?'

'What?" she asked with mock surprise, 'don't tell me you've been outwitted?'

Draco had to hold back a smile, 'I don't think so. But it's like you said, you've been a member of the Order for far longer, surely you can riddle it out?' Ginny narrowed her eyes at his unveiled smirk.

'Jerk,' she muttered as she pushed past him, stopping in front of the swirling mist. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. _What can be seen best in the darkest of darks when all else is invisible? When all else is invisible. In the darkest of darks. _'Light.' Ginny opened her eyes slowly and watched as the mist froze and then, as fast as lightening, moved to form the image of an arched doorway. 'I did it!' she exulted and then paused and turned back to Draco who had been watching her with a deep gaze. 'What does that mean? Does this prove I'm not dangerous?'

'For now,' Draco said bluntly and her face fell, running a hand through his hair he took a step forward to explain. 'The spell works to penetrate your mind and see your deeper intentions- but in your case it's a little more complicated. As far as you know, you have only the purest of intentions- that is the extent of your knowledge and likewise, the extent of the spell.'

'But it could change,' Ginny asked frowning. 'If I begin to remember things…things the Circle have taught me, my intentions could change.'

Draco nodded, 'And the spell would pick up on this, it would bar you out.' Only now, she noticed, did his hand relax on his wand.

Ginny gave a short laugh as another realisation struck, 'This wasn't just some ploy to keep my attention span from waning this was also a test- you were ready to take me out in a second if I couldn't answer,' she stated accusingly.

Draco didn't flinch from it, 'Veritaserum can only get us so far, till such a time when Snape's skills can be employed. You don't bare the marks of the Circle or Voldemort's followers and you still have the golden phoenix marking on the nape of your neck but it tells us very little. In fact nothing at all, it could be that the enemy purposely left you untouched. We just needed another way to be sure.'

Ginny reached behind and brushed the back of her neck, she'd forgotten about the marking. It identified her as an elite auror, one of the chosen few. Underneath the soaring wings of the phoenix a single sentence was inscribed in a language so old nobody could remember its meaning.

'Right well now that you've a-okayed me, can we get going?' Ginny asked impatiently, letting her hand fall back to her side and Draco held out his arm in an 'after you' gesture.

...

'Okay team, listen up!' Called out Draco. The ten trainees who had been practising defensive strategies on the 'death eater' enchantments all dropped their wands and turned back to face their instructor. Ginny was, and not for the first time that lesson, intrigued (and a little bit impressed) by Draco's leadership qualities and the way his presence just demanded respect and attention- as each and every face was focussed entirely upon her partner. 'That was better but-'

'No it was poor,' Ginny interrupted moving forward so that her face claimed the group's attention. The trainees showed a mixture of hurt, confusion and some indignation.

'Ginny,' Draco snapped fiercely under his breath, shooting her cutting glares but she took no noticed and continued.

'Don't get me wrong, your technique was good and so was the execution,' she paused to assess the group's reaction, 'but you lack the fundamental reflexes,' she explained bluntly. 'How many of you still have your enemy in sight? How many of you would be able to defend yourself successfully from your vantage point? How many of you would be able to defend your partner from their vantage point?' There was an outbreak of low muttering as each of the trainees shot furtive glances at the enchanted death eaters that hovered slightly above ground level behind them. 'Rule one,' Ginny said with a rueful smile, 'never turn your back on your enemy.' As new looks of respect swept over the faces of the trainees Ginny could have sworn she saw a small smile flicker over Draco's mouth.

'Enough,' he said. 'Group dismissed, practise your technique I want you all to have improved ten times over by next session.' He turned away and drew his wand and with a flick vanished all the training equipment. A dark boy with rich brown curls, a chocolate eyes had remained for a moment longer than the rest of the group and with a cocky grin he too turned to leave.

'Maybe next time, Scarlet,' he called over his shoulder as he sauntered towards the portkey. People had turned back to watch with mild amusement as they waited for him to join them. 'I'd have liked to have had a one-on-one combat _with you_.'

Ginny gave a short laugh of amusement and called out to him, 'be careful- if you play with fire, you're bound to get burnt.'

He turned back to face her, his eyes held a glimmer of surprise, 'you're good, for a witch, but you really think you could take on a wizard?' The surprise had turned to indifferent mockery.

'I grew up with seven brothers and each and every one of them bears a mark to show it,' she related with a dark grin, 'you should catch up with them sometime- just so you fully understand what you're dealing with.'

He called out something after her but the portkey had already begun to take off and his words were drowned out by the rustling of the wind. Ginny turned away a faint smile on her lips.

'You shouldn't lead him on like that,' Draco scolded as they walked down the alley way they had entered from five hours previously.

'I'm not leading anyone on,' Ginny replied firmly with an indignant toss of her hair.

'That's Xavier Crosswoods and he's known for having more than one or two connections to the dark side,' Draco explained warningly.

'I can handle myself just fine,' Ginny commented.

'So I've noticed.' A wry smile accompanied his rather sarcastic reply.

'Ah, still bitter after our little tousle?' she paused to grin. 'In which- correct me if I'm wrong- I kicked your butt.' Draco scowled.

'We've been over this, it was a stale mate,' he corrected her.

'If you say so, partner,' Ginny was still smiling. 'Anyway if he's got so many questionable connections what's he doing training on our side?'

'Possibly going under cover,' Draco replied, his disgruntled air replaced by one of keen thoughtfulness.

Ginny shook her head, 'that's very risky- for us and for them.'

Draco nodded, 'True but sometimes these risks are worth taking.'

'So that's why you make no objection to his training- you see it as a risk worth taking?' Ginny asked curious.

'I like to keep the enemy where I can see them.'

'What happens if he is a death eater- I mean, what happens to him?' Ginny asked, slowing her pace. 'That is, he'd be too dangerous to be kept alive,' she added with a thoughtful nod of her head before turning to face Draco.

'You'd have him killed?' he asked, composing his features so quickly Ginny got barely a flash of his subtle shock.

'Why does that come as such a surprise?' Ginny asked with a gentle shrug of her shoulders, eyes boring into his.

'A boy?' he demanded intently, 'you'd see him dead?'

'He's seventeen- a man,' Ginny retorted sharply. 'Besides you know that kind of life leaves little opportunity for conversion- I'm surprised even _you_managed it.'

Draco's gaze hardened and his jawline clenched, 'you still don't trust my motives?'

'No, nor do you trust mine,' Ginny added brashly.

'I wasn't held hostage by a dark organisation for three years,' Draco pointed out.

'And all I remember of you is an intense dislike and even more so, distrust,' Ginny snapped and then she sighed, 'Oh, God, we're back to this argument,' she muttered with a bitter laugh.

Draco seemed to relax and he let his shoulders fall loose, 'You say you didn't like me huh?' he asked and Ginny was surprised to find a hint of joking in his tone, 'that wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the last time we were in contact – by your memory- would have been at the International Quidditch Finals where I barracked against your team and won the bet?'

Ginny smiled, she'd forgotten about that day. Bill had taken her to see England play off against Bulgaria and she'd been disgusted to find herself seated not three rows away from Malfoy who'd spent the entire first quarter bragging about the comfort of the top box and how poorly the English were playing. Eventually she'd stalked up there and demanded he choose one of the two following options; either he accepted her bet of two galleons staked against the Bulgarians or she'd hex of his head. How sickly smug he'd looked when the Bulgarians snatch the snitch right out from under the English seeker and she'd had to pass over the money she'd saved from her small time job.

'I don't have a clue what you're talking about,' Ginny said coolly; she could not bear for him to relive that moment.

'Well I do, and then I came to visit you in that dinky café where you worked to demand that you pay me with real money not Irish foolery,' Draco regaled.

'Ha, I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book, honestly,' Ginny scoffed.

'At the time it was a good prank, I was mortified and dragging myself down to that ditch to confer with a blood traitor,' Draco rolled his eyes.

'Oi, don't dis the café,' Ginny warned, 'that place payed my way through the ministry. But I have to say I was surprised you'd bother for a couple of galleons when it was rumoured you were to inherit the Malfoy legacy of twelve million galleons.'

Draco shrugged, ' my mother used to sneak me spending money but my father beat it out of her when he realised, thought she was being too soft on me.'

Ginny's mind hit a mental blank, 'your father beat you?' Draco did not reply and Ginny decided not to pursue the topic, but she could not think of anything else to say; the news completely abolished the image she'd held of Draco as a pampered, spoiled, prince of Slytherin.

As if reading her thoughts Draco added, rather bitterly, 'my father only ever spent money on me when he thought it would raise our status as a family or at least flaunt me as an extremely well-off son of a noble family.'

Ginny remained silent but she reached out and placed her hand on his forearm, this time he did not flinch away. 'Let's go home,' she murmured quietly and with a brusque nod Draco took her hand and the two disapperated on the spot.

Maybe Harry had been right, maybe she could play this nice…for now.

**Hello, again! Thanks so much for reading my work- as a reward you know I LOVE reviews! If I get enough I could finish the next chapter within the week….**

**Till next time, x**


	4. Chapter 4: Resurrecting Old Foes

**We Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

Without further ado, I give …  
**Chapter Four: Resurrecting Old Foes **

The woman was cloaked in a dark shadow as she hurried through the deserted alleyway, her feet scuffing along the grey cobblestones, echoing eerily through the airy night. She paused for a moment and seemed to curse under her breath before slowly turning around to face the bleak mist and let out a short, hollow laugh.

'You've found me at last, I was beginning to wonder.' A sudden flash of light and she crumpled to the ground with a resounding crack! as her head smashed against the stone.

'Well done, Ismene, very well done,' a slippery voice, slithered across the silence as two more cloaked figures emerged from the mist. The shorter of the two turned away slightly at the sight of the crumpled body as if it were a scene sickeningly below her.

'Can we move on?' she asked, her voice betraying only a hint of disgust.

'The dark lord will be most pleased; the death of Alberta Bodkins is a most advantageous feat, young one.' The taller of the two showed no inclination of leaving as she bent over to examine the body. 'You are doing very well indeed.'

'It is no great feat till we bring down Dawkins too, otherwise the Order may still learn everything,' Ismene replied, a quiver of fear entering her voice as she voiced their intentions.

'Keep your voice down,' the first hissed, but she straightened up all the same. 'But you are correct of course, that is the Dark Lord's wish and it is most _vital_ that we do not disappoint.' She let out a harsh bark of laughter, 'I can see your itching to get away, killing still does not sit well with you, but it becomes you most greatly.' Ismene blanched and the elder laughed again. 'You will see soon enough.'

'I know that, he wishes me to…but I don't think, even when the time comes…,' Ismene trailed off, looking beseechingly down at her hands, shaking slightly as she held up her wand.

'The Dark Lord has many plans for you,' the elder spoke softly, inclining her dark head slightly. 'For which you should be honoured- your brother failed him and for that he will pay most greatly, but you, my dear, you shall be exulted above all others.' Ismene looked away. 'Don't fret, the blood that runs through your veins will keep you strong, blood of the ancient magic, Trillian blood.'

Another crack and the two disappeared leaving the alley as deadly silent as before their arrival.

The burrow was in uproar. Nine of the Order members were gathered around the magically enlarged table that was groaning under the weight of various, maps, artefacts and weapons. Ginny was slumped in her chair, furthest from the head, cursing madly as her brothers continued to argue above- it had been going on for three hours.

'Enough!' Kingsley's booming voice reverberated through the clustered room and everybody fell silent. 'Dawkins' disappearance is most unfortunate and the little resources we have at our disposal have yielded very few results. Of course we will be sending a search squad to find him and I have also received intelligence that Alberta Bodkins was discovered dead by muggle authorities some seven days ago.' A definite hush settled over the table.

'Alberta Bodkins?' Dean asked from next to Ginny. 'Was she one of ours after all?'

It was Lupin who replied, 'Apparently she'd been working in the service of the Malfoy's for some time,' he paused to shoot a look at Draco who nodded for him to continue, 'but we have managed to ascertain that this was all in effect of her smuggling out information to one of our members, any guesses for which one?'

'Dawkins,' Tonks answered and Lupin nodded his ascent.

'Correct, which of course Dawkins kept secret from us for her own protection.'

'What kind of information did she get?' Bill inquired.

'We're not exactly sure,' Lupin replied, 'but whatever it was this time, it was big enough for her to risk contacting us.'

'So what's Harry really doing in London after all?' Ginny demanded looking around crossly at the other occupants of the kitchen.

'Sorry?' Lupin asked, looking confused as he turned to her.

'You told me last week that Harry was going off with Hermione and Ron to track down Dawkins, seeing as we now know that Dawkins is missing and I don't see any of the trio delivering this information….'

'That's classified,' Kingsley stated with finality. Ginny decided not to push it, the Order had been fairly generous with their information ever since she'd riddled out Flitwick's enchantment at the training session but Charlie had been subtly threatening bedroom confinement all week- it wasn't worth it this time.

'Maybe, we should tell her that,' Tonks spoke up from the other end of the table and Ginny's head shot up hopefully.

Lupin, Bill and Charlie all looked doubtfully towards Kingsley but he merely turned to Draco. Ginny rolled her eyes, any chance of her learning something new had just gone down the drain. But Draco merely shrugged.

'She's proven herself so far, and it's not exactly top secret,' he murmured by way of reply.

Kingsley nodded resolutely, 'If you trust her.'

Draco shot Ginny a look and she knew she was the only one who could read the hidden sardonic smile. 'For now.'

'Right, err well,' Lupin began looking a little harassed, 'they haven't actually all gone off together. Harry's to leave a false trail up north and Ron and Hermione are tracing the Trillian lineage.'

'Oh,' Ginny said surprised, 'Is that it?' Bill gave a gentle chuckle.

'That's it little sis, no dragon hunting, battles against giants or deadly missions to undertake.' The table laughed indulgently and Ginny huffed.

'Ha, ha,' she muttered and was then struck with another thought. 'If Ron and Hermione are tracing Trillian lineage that means we must have-'

'- a new lead? Correct.' Lupin interrupted with a slightly impressed smile.

'Who?' Ginny demanded eagerly. A hundred covert looks were shot around the room. 'Let me guess that's classified, right?'

'Actually, it's personal,' Draco answered his voice brusque but his eyes were open. Ginny understood that while they shared a basic level of mutual trust there were things he wasn't ready to share, he was asking her to understand that. Ginny backed off.

'Okay, well what can I do?' she asked, changing tact.

'You're in for a treat,' Bill winked, 'we have a covert task for you.'

'Really?' Ginny asked, her eagerness returning immediately. 'I just wish you could say that without making me sound like a three year old being offered candy.' Draco grinned behind his hand, but Ginny missed it; her eyes were trained on Bill's face which was cracking a smile.

'Ron and Hermione will be returning in a few days' time, to take the new recruits for a basic operation,' Bill explained, 'we want you to pick up the trail from there.'

Ginny was stunned into silence. 'Just to be clear,' she began with a slight stammer, 'you want _me_ to track down an ancient, dark organisation that may or may not be involved in my disappearance?'

'Yep,' said Charlie and then he added with a sly grin, 'of course you won't be going alone.' Ginny's eyes flew hopefully towards Dean's but he shook his head.

'Tonks?' she asked but she too shook her head by response. Lupin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

'We decided it wasn't time to break up your duo,' he said with forceful resolution, shooting glances at Ginny's elder brothers in turn, 'Draco will be accompanying you.' George scowled and Fred clenched his fists ever so slightly, but both Charlie and Bill shrugged and looked mostly unconcerned. 'Are you up to it?'

Ginny looked around at the faces in the room and nodded with a confidence that took even herself off guard. Inside her emotions were a turmoil, but mostly she was excited; finally some action.

'Right, meeting adjourned till Hermione and Ron return,' Kingsley announced and Ginny smiled slightly at his formality; some things just never change. Draco motioned from the other side of the room for her to remain behind, no doubt to discuss the order of their operation and assert himself as mission leader.

'I know, I know, I'm to follow your every order, never forget my place and above all be punctual,' Ginny added with a sarcastic reference to their first training session. To her surprise he grinned, his eyes lightening from their dark brooding as he ran a casual hand through his hair. 'Just don't treat me like a kid, alright?' she looked up at him her expression part playfulness, part warning.

Draco's expression took on a serious air, 'You'll always be my equal, Ginny,' he murmured gently and then he added with a wry smile, 'even though you scare the hell out of me sometimes.' Ginny laughed, again surprised that their conversation could take such an amicable twist.

'So, partner,' Ginny began and Draco grimaced slightly at the endearment, 'where do we begin?'

Draco flashed a grim look, 'At the beginning.' Ginny slumped into her chair. 'But firstly, how much do you know about the Trillians?'

'Not much,' Ginny replied thoughtfully, 'I know the legends.'

Draco raised an eyebrow, 'And what does legend tell us?'

Ginny sighed; this was like History of Magic all over again. 'The Trillian organisation was founded by a descendant of Salazar Slytherin in the attempt to preserve his teachings for fear they would be forgotten in the glory of the remaining Hogwarts founders.'

Draco nodded, 'Did you know that Dumbledore himself discovered the founder of the Trillian organisation was a woman? A rough translation gives us her name as Ismene.'

Ginny shook her head, 'I had no idea, curious notion though.' Draco nodded and gestured that she should continue. 'Anyway, the founder- Ismene- set about an order of elite wizards to preserve the most ancient and darkest of magic. But they were corrupted by the power of such knowledge were consumed by their own desires, one by one the fell but not before they succeeded in creating an army from the souls of the lost.' Ginny broke off at this point to raise a sceptical eyebrow. 'Of course, this is just legends teachings, but it is said that a great massacre was led by a man called Alexander Peverell, supposedly Gryffindor's descendant, and the land was purged of their existence. Ismene, bound by a blood oath to Salazar was destroyed and her magic undone. However it is possible that magic of that magnitude could linger, I mean we already believe her descendants might still exist today.'

'One more question,' Draco said quietly, 'why do you think a descendant of Ismene Trillian would be such a threat.'

The answer struck Ginny in a sickeningly awful moment, 'Ismene was bound by blood to Salazar, if the same blood ran through the veins of another…they too might inherit her powers'

'There has never been a magical being like her until the Dark Lord,' Draco informed her darkly, 'if such magic could be resurrected I am sure the Dark Lord would be most interested in the wielder.'

'Do you know who the descendant is?' Ginny asked tentatively.

'I have my suspicions, none of them pleasant.' A dark mood settled over the kitchen and Ginny decided to remain quiet, waiting for him to dispel the hush.

'This is going to be a dangerous mission,' Draco warned her. The comment was just begging for a witty Ginevra Weasley quip so she was surprise when instead she asked,

'Why did the Order choose me? I mean, after all the shebang about not trusting me to now hand me possibly the most important task?'

Draco inclined his head in a gesture that said, fair point. 'It's all becoming very hard to depict- the Circle kidnapping you then releasing you back as a weapon-'Ginny glared cuttingly at him. 'Ahem,' he coughed, 'excuse me, possible weapon. And now searching for the descendant of an organisation that is most likely lost forever…'

'Did you ever think maybe I was just a decoy, to distract everyone from the real plot?'

'It's possible,' Draco acknowledged but Ginny could sense he didn't believe it. 'But why you specifically? There are so many other people they could have chosen, who would have been far easier to get to.'

'So, you reckon I'm still dangerous, then.'

That won her a full out grin, 'I don't doubt it one little bit. We'll start in downtown London, there's an old jewellers there that's been around for a long time. They deal particularly in family heirlooms, I want to know if they'd remember anything.'

'Good call,' Ginny said seriously. 'While we're there I can check old library records that may have printed something, even in the muggle news.'

'Oh and I almost forgot, our covers,' Draco added with a start, 'I was thinking, a soon-to-be-wed couple looking for my great-grandmothers wedding ring to explain our snooping in the jewellery store.' He said it with an amused curve to his mouth but his eyes held great depth and Ginny wondered if she accepted that it might resonate as more than just a cover.

'Sure,' she answered lightly, 'and country journalism might work for the library.'

'Alright, we'll leave at dawn tomorrow.'

'Can't wait,' Ginny tried in vain to disguise the squeal of anticipation in her voice.

'Pack lightly,' Draco added with a roll of his eyes, 'first time I went on a mission with Hermione, she packed half the Hogwarts library in her bag.'

A tinkling of laughter followed Ginny out of the room. Draco was alone once again.

…

'_You're a fool Draco, and you will lose everything,' a hissing voice cut through the air. 'I have already taken the girl and I will tear her down so that she will hate your very name. You will be alone.' _

…

Draco shook his head violently, 'I will fight this madness,' he swore under his breath.

...

'_Betrayed by your own blood, I will bring about your downfall and you will watch as I take away everyone from you. You will be alone.' _

…

'Enough!' Draco's voice bellowed as he shook himself out of the nightmarish coils of memory. He turned to leave when a small white envelope caught his eye from the table. It was sealed with nothing but a dark wax and it fell open in his hands.

_I will take her from you as you took me from them. _

**Hi Guys! Hope you enjoyed that chapter might be a while before I update but please review and make me smile! xxx**


	5. Chapter 5: Markings of Allegiance

**We Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

Without further ado, I give …**  
Chapter 5: Markings of Allegiance **

The shop bells tinkled eerily as two figures pushed open the worn front door and stepped inside, shaking the rainfall off their beaten cloaks. The man at the counter peered upwards through thick rimmed round spectacles and his wizened mouth twisted into a smile, showing his yellow stained rambling collection of teeth. The figures nodded in his direction and one waved him over in a commanding fashion.

'Can I be of service young master and mistress?' he asked, with an oily voice as he stooped low in a ridiculously old fashioned bow. 'Perhaps a pretty trinket for the lady, eh?'

'Perhaps,' the man acquiesced slowly, 'it depends on whether you have what we're looking for.'

'And what'd that be? I dare say there isn't another jeweller in these parts with a collection so fine as mine, not for many miles.' The shopkeeper gestured proudly with his gnarled fingers to the many glass cabinets and boxes that huddled in dark corners.

'I am looking for a family heirloom, a ring of my great grandmothers,' the man replied and his companion moved towards the closest cabinet, staring fascinatedly in at an ornate, gem studded necklace.

'They're real, alright,' the shopkeeper wheezed, gesturing towards the cabinet holding the necklace and the woman looked around with surprise, her hood dipping slightly over her eyes.

The man sighed and his voice dropped dangerously low, 'My patience is wearing thin.'

'My sincerest apologies,' the shopkeeper answered hastily, sweeping another bow, 'I meant no offence.'

'I want to know how far back your collection dates,' the man demanded carefully.

'Eh?' The shop keeper looked up suddenly and his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. 'Why'd you be needing to know that, eh?'

'That is none of your concern,' the woman spoke for the first time, her voice echoing in a dark, dangerous manner. The shopkeeper backed away slightly but his eyes still stared intently at the pair. The man stepped forward suddenly with an impatient air and pulled back his sleeve revealing his left arm, the shopkeeper recoiled in horror. 'Our business is our own.'

'We want a family heirloom tracked,' the man continued, 'can you help us?'

'My collection goes back to the fifteen hundreds at least,' the jeweller answered hastily. 'Do you have a family name attached to the ring?'

'It belonged to the noble house of Trillian.' Surprisingly the shopkeeper did not jerk back in fear as was the way with most; instead his expression took on an air of keen thoughtfulness and scrutiny.

'Get out,' he said suddenly his voice abandoning any pretence of politeness.

'Excuse me?' the woman demanded, turning away from a small wooden box that contained a small tiara with a blood red ruby, to face her companion and the jeweller.

'I won't be made a fool of,' the shopkeeper sneered. 'I'll bet that's not even real,' he remarked pointing his wizened finger towards the man's left arm.

The woman stepped forward menacingly, 'Would you like to touch it? Then you can ask the Dark Lord how real it is.'

The shopkeeper stepped backwards and some of the arrogance seemed knocked out of him but his eyes reverted back to suspicious scrutiny. 'I've already spoken with your people; I gave the child the ring, what more do you want of me?'

'What child?' the man demanded quickly.

'The girl, she came in with a woman and a man, asking about the Trillian ring,' the jeweller explained reluctantly.

'And you gave it to her?' the woman questioned a fierce intensity ringing in her every syllable.

'Not willingly,' the shopkeeper replied tartly, 'she only paid half the original price and when I pressed her for more she threatened to have her werewolf companion shred me to bits.' The shopkeepers voiced quivered and the two strangers exchanged dark looks. 'But why you need it as well, is beyond me. In fact-'

'Obliviate.'

The jeweller began to speak again but the man already had his wand out and the next thing the jeweller's eyes glazed over and he seemed to slump slightly.

'I don't know about you but I have a very bad feeling about all this,' the woman said, pulling down her hood to reveal a mound of red curls.

'It's certainly a bad omen if the other side has the ring,' Draco replied, as he too pulled off his hood.

'So the Trillian ring actually exists? I thought that part was legend,' Ginny asked curiously.

'Apparently you thought wrong,' Draco answered but he did not sound surprised.

'You knew,' Ginny accused.

'I suspected.' The shopkeeper moaned slightly and shook his head, Draco motioned for Ginny to cover her head once more and she hastened to comply.

'Wh-who are you?' the shopkeeper asked looking around as if surprised to find them there at all.

Draco shot him a calculating look, 'Thank you very much for showing us your collection, I'm sure our client will be most interested in your findings. We'll be sure to be in touch, good day.' The shopkeeper watched the pair walk push through the door, the bells ringing ominously, with confusion; he could not remember them coming in at all.

Outside the rain had eased up but an uncomfortable damp hung in the air.

'The look he gave you- he looked like he'd been hit over the head by a bludger,' Ginny laughed as she followed Draco out of the shop. Draco offered only a tight smile in response; he had much more pressing matters on his mind. 'What are you thinking about?' Ginny sighed as she watched his expression.

'Who says I'm thinking about anything at all?' Draco asked, shooting her an innocent glance.

Ginny laughed, 'I _know_ you, you're always thinking and right now I know you're thinking particularly hard about something.'

'How do you figure that?'

Ginny tapped her nose, 'Whenever men are thinking particularly hard it smells like burning rubber.' Draco scowled but Ginny had seen the corners of his mouth twitching.

The turned left down an alleyway and came out into a little parade that was packed with little antique stores, book shops and cafes.

'We shouldn't be here,' Draco warned preparing to leave, 'too public.'

'No-one's going to notice us in this crowd,' Ginny pointed out, 'and I don't know about you but I am dying for a coffee.' Draco grumbled slightly as Ginny dragged him down the pathway towards a small café that was packed with couples and small families.

'What can I get you?' a motherly looking witch called as she stuck her head over the counter, pointing her wand at a large pot on the stove that hissed and nearly bubbled over. 'Oops,' she murmured good naturedly.

'Two muggle specials,' Ginny called back over the loud background chattering.

'Muggle specials?' Draco asked sounding amused.

'Yeah, Hermione calls them cappuccitas, cappuccinos or something,' Ginny answered mildly as she scrounged in her bag for some change. Draco made no reply only raised an eyebrow as the witch placed two steaming mugs of frothy drink, dusted with chocolate like powder, on the counter.

'Seven sickles,' she counted up the prices and held out her hand.

'Ooh, this place has gone upmarket,' Ginny remarked as she continued to search for the right change. With an exasperated sigh Draco passed over a galleon coin to the witch who smiled, thanked him and offered him back the change.

'That was supposed to be my treat,' Ginny remarked a little crossly once the two had made it back out onto the streets.

'Too bad,' Draco replied with a smirk.

They reached the end of the alley way and as Ginny turned to continue down the next lane, a flicker in the shop window reflection caught her eye and made her blood turn cold. Turning back to Draco she tried to look relaxed, she couldn't risk anyone knowing she'd noticed. Someone was following her.

She inclined her head slightly as they continued walking, to give the appearance that she was peering in at a rather rambling bookshop, but out of the corner of her eye she was watching intently the shadowy figure. Ginny frowned as her eyes feverishly scanned his (she'd already discerned him to be male) outline as he paused to look in at a shop advertising potion enhancing cauldron – he too was playing the part of casual street wanderer. Then suddenly before she could tear her eyes away, he looked up and his eyes bore into hers. She could vaguely hear Draco saying something to her, but she ignored it, staring transfixed as the man slipped his hand into the pocket of his shabby coat and pulled out a small, round, gold disk. Ginny made a sharp intake of breath as the sun glinted off its surface and her head seemed to burn. She felt herself slump against Draco's steady arm as the man slipped back around the corner and out of sight.

'Wait, stop, he's getting away,' she tried to call out but her words all slurred together. She felt an awful pulling and tugging sensation and then the world went black.

…

Someone was calling her name. Vaguely Ginny registered the urge to answer, probably with a snappish command to shut-up. Ugh, she hurt and ached all over. What was wrong? Blearily she managed to force her eyes open and blink away the drowsiness. She was lying on a couch and she sat up to find Draco lounging on the opposite seat, his mouth set in a concerned line.

'Am I dead?' she asked.

'No,' he replied looking relieved that she was awake but troubled by her question.

'Really? 'Cause waking up to your face is my definition of eternal purgatory,' she answered with a tired smirk.

Draco's face relaxed and he managed an eye roll in her direction. 'You're feeling better then.'

'Not really, I ache all over,' Ginny groaned as she stretched out her muscles. 'What happened?'

'I was going to ask you the same question,' Draco remarked.

'There was someone following us back there,' she explained and Draco nodded. 'You knew?' she asked surprised. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'For the same reason you didn't tell me,' Draco replied calmly, 'I didn't want him to know I knew.'

'He had this weird gold, disk thing and when I looked at it, it was like my head had been set on fire,' Ginny said as she carefully scrutinised his reaction, he gave none.

'Do you remember seeing it anywhere before?' Draco asked.

'No,' Ginny replied slowly, 'but it felt familiar.' The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and though she couldn't remember thinking them consciously she knew they were the truth.

'There's a very good chance that what you saw today is connected to your past,' Draco explained cautiously, 'your reaction was very similar to when I first pressed you for answers- it's the memory charm at work.'

'Whatever the gold disk was, no doubt today was to check how much I could still remember,' Ginny said, speaking her thoughts allowed and Draco inclined his head in agreement. 'Not enough to give them away, just the right amount to turn me…' Ginny trailed off, fingering the couch material in an awkward manner. 'Bad.'

Draco wasn't one to shy away from the truth, 'Exactly,' he answered but then he sighed and added, 'for the record, I reckon they've got no chance.'

Ginny allowed a small smile to trail across her features and raised a quizzical eyebrow, 'Is that so?' she demanded. 'I wouldn't be so sure, I'm not exactly angelic material,' she added drily.

Draco caught his smile midway and was about to reply with a witty retort when suddenly his whole body tensed up and he froze. Ginny too moved to the edge of the couch and cocked her head like a lioness waiting for a sound from her prey.

'I heard it too,' she mouthed and gestured with her hand to the ceiling, speckled with dark stains, where the floorboards had creaked momentarily.' Upstairs,' she mouthed again and Draco nodded, slowly getting to his feet. When she made to follow suit, he waved her back down again with a serious expression.

'Stay here,' he mouthed and Ginny rolled her eyes; like hell was she going to stay put. Draco shot her a furious glare as she defiantly got to her feet but made no move to stop her. Instead he pulled out his wand and cast a spell on her battered shoes, which were now silent as she made her way towards the staircase; she nodded her head in appreciation. As she made to ascend the first step, Draco put out his arm to halt her and darted in front- secretly Ginny was glad he was going first, though she would have rather eaten dragon dung than admit it.

But the need for stealth was soon averted as a great crash sounded from above and the pair bounded up the rest of the stairs, bursting into the second bedroom where the sound had originated from. A cloud of smoke had erupted from one of the storage boxes and a young wizard was lying on the ground, rubbing his jaw where a bruise was already beginning to bloom. A hand grasp away laid a shiny golden telescope with a large, round first protruding from the end and Ginny had a sudden, random urge to laugh as she recognised it as one of Fred and George's earlier inventions; this was after all their old apartment.

Despite the obvious humour of the situation, Ginny felt a chill at the sight of the intruder, dressed in a fitted black t-shirt, loose, faded jeans, a cutting glare and a mouth that had twisted upwards into a provocative smile that was more dangerous that inviting. Draco crouched slightly into a low defensive position, in front of Ginny but the intruders eyes only flicked in his direction momentarily before returning to their previous study of Ginny's face.

'Well, well.' He spoke with a slight croon, his voice dangerously soft and low. 'Isn't this fun.'

'Who are you?' Ginny demanded, in a quiet voice her insides clenching cruelly. 'Do I know you?'

'They did a good job on you,' the intruder remarked, cocking his head to the side as his gaze slid over to Draco. 'Ah yes, the knight in shining armour- I remember all too well, isn't he the one that abandoned you in the first place?'

Draco stiffened and his wand dropped a little and Ginny registered the shock and anger that played across his hard features. 'What are you talking about?' she demanded looking from one to the other. 'Draco?'

'Don't listen to him; he's trying to mess with your mind.' Draco replied through a clenched jaw.

'We owe you thanks,' the intruder continued, his voice cropping even lower, 'without you we never would have gotten to her, but alone and heartbroken makes even the best…vulnerable.' Before Ginny could even properly register his words Draco had leapt, with a snarl on top of the intruder and had his wand up against his throat.

'Tell me why I shouldn't,' he said, breathing heavily his eyes flashing dangerously.

'Make your move,' the intruder taunted and Draco's eyes fell on the wand that was suddenly poised directly at Ginny. 'Just one move and it'll be her last breath.' An agonised look flitted across Draco's face briefly but the intruder had seen it and he let out a cold laugh, 'you almost killed her once why not do the job properly this time.' His free hand came to rest on the wooden floor boards and Ginny knew in an instant he was preparing to launch himself, but she was quicker. Sliding across the floor she came to rest at the head of the intruder, sticking her wand into the nape of his neck and leaning in close.

'You so much as touch anyone in this room and you're dead,' she threatened in a savage voice.

The intruder let out another little laugh, 'Ah little V, I have missed having you around- your wild temper made you almost too good to pass up.'

'Who are you?' Ginny hissed, digging her wand in harder. 'The circle?' she guessed and the intruder looked mildly surprised, 'or maybe the Trillians?' Draco let out a warning sound but Ginny already knew she'd gone too far, the intruder's face had broken into a small smile.

'So you _do _remember,' he remarked, sounding mildly impressed.

'Not nearly enough,' Ginny replied harshly. 'But now that I have you, I might be able to make some real progress.' She murmured the curse and the next second the intruder had slumped against her trembling form.

'You alright?' Draco asked immediately and Ginny nodded, quietly examining the body.

She let out a sharp intake of breath suddenly having just noticed the gold disk, hanging around his neck on a delicate silver chain.

'I know,' Draco remarked softly and then let out a sudden cry of protest as he registered her actions. Without realising it Ginny had slipped the chain over the man's head, fingering it lightly before slowly lowering it over hers so that it fell against her collarbone with a gentle thump. Draco's eyes widened in a wild fear before Ginny let out a scream of agonised pain, her features contorting as a bloody V etched itself onto the skin of her wrists, burning brightly. The world turned black for the second time and Ginny's head hit the floor.

**Hi readers! Again thank you for being so supportive in your reading and reviewing- my emails were flocked with new people subscribing to my story which was so awesome! I'd love to hear reviews from all my followers too! Might be another wait before my next chapter but I hope you all enjoyed this one! Till next time….**

**xx**


	6. Chapter 6: Valiant Arrow

**I Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

Without further ado, I give …  
**Chapter 6: Valiant Arrow **

'You have done well, my child,' his soft, dangerous voice crooned across the darkness. The girl watched transfixed as the long, scaled body of the snake twisted itself around his arm, like a wrought iron clasp.

Ismene bowed her head, 'It is an honour to serve my lord,' she replied slowly.

The man seated at the top of the table let out a small laugh, his head inclining slightly as he observed her with dark, slitted pupils. 'I wonder how many of my friends would agree with you,' he asked, his voice dropping slightly as he turned his penetrating gaze on the others seated around the long table. 'Your father perhaps is discontented, indeed.'

Ismene looked suddenly to the man on the left of her master, his head was bowed but she could see the lines marring his face and his hands trembled slightly on the glossy wooden surface.

'No, indeed, my lord, I assure you. My father knows better than anyone the glory of the burden we carry.' Ismene's voice rang out across the swelling silence, and she held her dark head a little higher.

'Ah, but you are not so like your father are you?' The chilling note had left his voice as he gazed down the length of the table, 'Nor your mother.'

'Or my brother,' Ismene asserted. 'That much I hope to have proven.'

'Fear not child, your brother has deserted us,' he replied, 'you have remained faithful and for that you shall be rewarded above all others.'

'And Arrow?' she demanded.

'Patience, child, he will return and then we shall complete the magic.'

Ismene bowed her head one more, allowing a small smile to work its way across her harsh features. She looked up again to see her master but he had already gone, all eyes turned to her. Turning on her heel she swept down the darkened hallway, her cloak billowing ominously behind her.

...

They both awoke at the same time. Ginny blinking wearily into the harsh day light that seeped through the only window in the apartment. Ginny remembered when she'd first seen the apartment, all those years ago when she was still a student at Hogwarts and her brothers were building up the joke shop, she'd asked Fred why only one window. He'd grinned and told her mysteriously that it made it harder for people to see what they were up to. At the time his words had been a bit of a joke, intriguing to Ginny, now she saw it as a safety mechanism that kept outsiders out.

...

He awoke with a sudden alertness his eyes scanning his curious surroundings, taking everything in with precision and calculation. The man with the long blonde hair was sitting on a worn chair, closer to the girl with wild red hair. Who were they? He made to reach for his wand, his automatic reflex whenever he was in an unfamiliar situation but he found his pocket empty. Now that he thought about it, half his possessions were gone; his jacket had been stripped off him his boots too and he knew the armoury he kept secure inside his secret lining would be gone too. Dammit! How had this happened? The red head stirred on the opposite couch, her head rolling to the other side and a small smile lit up her features as she gazed on the blond haired man sitting a few metres away from her. Now he remembered; it was Ginny Weasley.

...

'We've really got to stop meeting this way,' Ginny murmured, still a little hazy as she gazed up at Draco- his steel gray eyes crinkling at the sides as he smiled in return.

'If you ever find me knocked out on a couch, please just kill me,' Draco replied with a casual grimace. It was only then, when she looked away from his face, that she noticed the stranger lying on the opposite couch. His curly, dark brown hair was mussed up, falling over his face but it did not hide his sea-blue eyes that bore into hers. Draco followed her line of gaze and was up in a matter of seconds. But the stranger was just as quick, leaping of the couch and coming to face Draco before he managed to reach the other side of the room. Ginny made to get up as well, sick of being left out of the action and both men's eyes flashed in her direction.

Ginny wasn't scared, she knew who'd win in a fight between the two, even if the dark stranger had his wand- she'd seen with her own eyes just how lethal Draco could be. So it wasn't fear that seared through her belly as she gazed back on the stranger, it was something else. Something... painful. In fact, it was the same sought of feeling she got when she looked at Draco; that awful plummeting sensation when she knew she'd lost something but she couldn't remember what.

'Glad to see you didn't hurt yourself, little V,' the stranger spoke with a slight smirk to the corners of his mouth as he looked her up and down. Secretly Ginny ached all over but she wasn't going to admit this. She noted with slight hesitation the hungry gaze he watched her with, like a predator to prey. Ginny wasn't used to being the prey and couldn't say she enjoyed the experience.

'Okay let's start with that,' Ginny said calmly, drawing herself up to full height and holding her head a little higher, the defiant jaw line she'd inherited from her mother poised in well...defiance. 'Little V, what does that mean?'

'It's your name,' the stranger replied in a mocking tone. Draco let out a low, warning sound but the stranger said no more.

'Right, and what's yours then?' Ginny demanded, determined to get something other than riddles out of this man. He merely folded his arms and smirked at her.

'Guess,' he taunted. 'Show me how good you aurors are.'

Ginny let out a low laugh, 'Fine, how does Neanderthal suit?'

The stranger allowed another smile slip across his mouth, 'You haven't changed a bit.'

'Enough,' Draco said, turning his gaze toward Ginny. 'There are other ways.'

'Good point, partner,' Ginny grinned and turned back to the stranger, 'I think I'm going to enjoy this.' His eyes flashed suddenly as comprehension dawned across his face. 'Legilimens.'

Images flashed before her eyes.

_Ginny was sitting on the cement floor of a prison cell, her knees drawn up to her chin. He was leaning against the bars of the cell door, watching her intently. _

'_I hate you,' Ginny spat vehemently. _

'_I expected as much,' he replied drily. _

'_I will kill you,' she swore, her voice shaking with anger. _

'_There are worse things than me in this place,' he shot back. _

'_Really?' Ginny asked, sarcasm ripping off the word. _

'_Yes.' His voice was chilling and Ginny looked away with a sudden spark of fear. _

A new image surfaced as the other dispersed into dark ash.

_They were running through a corridor, it was dark and Ginny knew it was night time. They reached the end of the corridor, where it forked in two different directions, as a stream of hexes flashed above their heads, narrowly missing them._

_He swore under his breath before grabbing her arm roughly and pulling her down the left corridor. 'Next time remind me never to come on one of your insane escapades.' He whispered, through ragged breathing as he pulled her into the crevice of the wall. They watched fiver or so guards run past them, before Ginny replied. _

'_Well, no-one asked you to tag along,' she replied bitingly, 'I could have done just fine on my own.' Her companion merely raised an eyebrow. Together they shimmied along the walls, back up the corridor they had just come down. _

'_Drop your wands or I'll kill you both,' a harsh voice rang out into the air. He groaned and shot Ginny an annoyed look before, swivelling around so fast the guard stumbled backwards slightly, giving time for him to shoot a stunning spell. _

'_Hurry, they'll be more soon.' _

'_I know,' Ginny had paused, frozen in her place. _

'_Then what are you waiting for?'He asked, his eyes blazing with a mixture of annoyance and incredulity. Ginny did not move nor did she make any sound by way of reply. 'Fight for tomorrow,' he said, clasping her limp hand. _

'_Live for today,' she replied with resolution, clasping his hand back. _

The image dissipate and another surfaced this one more tangible than the others.

_Stay with me little V,' he urged, barely able to keep the note of desperation out of his voice. She could feel his heart beating wildly as he bent over her, cradling her head between his hands. She smelt his sweet scent, a mixture of apples, mint and earth as droplets of rain fell from his wild brown hair onto her ashen cheeks. His forehead brushed against her own and his ragged breathing caressed her face, running over the cuts and bruises. 'Please,' he cried out, tipping his head back into the onslaught of rain. His hands fell from her hair down to her sides where they came to clasp her fingers. 'Don't let them beat you, little V. Don't stop fighting, not this time.' _

_She could feel her own heartbeat slowing, even under his pleas and her fingers lost their strength as she fought to breathe. Then, just as her eyes began to close, she saw him bend over her again and his eyes flashed with gold and he opened his mouth to speak. 'Animam Salvam.' Then a fire was rushing through her veins and he collapsed at her side. _

A sharp pain to her side, brought her swimming out of the memory.

'Merlin's pants!' Ginny exclaimed, clutching her side. 'What was that for?'

Draco was glaring at her, the stranger standing slightly behind him, now bound with rope ties. 'That was not what I meant. You should have left that for me.' He turned away for a moment, his posture tense before relaxing and turning back to her. 'What did you learn?'

'You mean other than when you punch it hurts?' Ginny demanded and both men rolled their eyes but she turned her attention to the stranger. 'Nice to see you again Arrow, it's been a long time.'

Arrow's face split into a devilish grin, 'Ay, it has.' Ginny pulled out her wand and murmured the charm to untie his bonds, watching with only mild apprehension as they coiled away from his hands.

'What are you doing?' Draco demanded, his face blazing.

'Woah,' Ginny held out her hands, 'easy, partner, he's on our side.'

'I don't think so,' Draco said in a hard voice, turning his icy gaze on Arrow.

'Arrow, show him your neck,' Ginny said slowly. Arrow shot her a look and a strange moment passed between the two before he nodded and silently turned and pulled back the hair at the nape of his neck. A golden phoenix was inked, with the same ancient inscription that Ginny had puzzled over on her neck for many an hour.

'You're an auror?' Draco asked disbelievingly.

'I was,' Arrow replied and his eyes turned distant. 'A long time ago.'

'What happened?' Ginny asked, she'd seen the tattoo in the memory but couldn't remember the story behind it- if he'd ever even told her.

'My parents were death eaters, part of the Circle,' Arrow said in a bitter tone, 'I ran away from them when I was fifteen, lived on the streets for the better part of two years before I enlisted as an auror. If there was one thing my father taught me, it was how to protect myself.' Ginny nodded and he slumped back down on the couch before continuing. 'When I left I broke my mother's heart,' he said with another bitter smile, 'my father swore he would hunt me down and make me pay for my transgressions. Eventually he found me, working on an operation in Bulgaria- I'd gotten sloppy; hadn't covered all the angles and he managed to get to me.' He blew out a long sight at this point and then carried on. 'Let's say he had some _leverage_ over me, enough to make me come back to Voldemort's ranks. All I knew was that they were after you,' he said, jerking his head towards Ginny, 'and that I knew you.'

'What?' Ginny asked. 'That's not possible.'

'I didn't know you personally, it's impossible for members of the Circe to know one another but I'd heard of you,' he explained, 'so they used me to get to you.'

'You kidnapped me?' Ginny demanded.

'No, not exactly,' Arrow replied in a slow careful voice, 'more like _persuaded _you to come with me.'

'Why?' Ginny demanded intently, 'Why did you want me?'

'That I can't tell you,' Arrow replied, his blue eyes darting a look in Draco's direction.

'Why not?' she demanded again, her ferocity growing.

'Because Lord Voldemort isn't stupid, that's why,' Arrow answered bitterly.

'He had you swear an Unbreakable Vow,' Draco guessed and Arrow nodded in reply.

'The only reason I can tell you as much as I have is because you broke the line,' he said and this time it was Draco who nodded in response.

'The line?' Ginny asked, getting the annoying sensation that she was the only one who didn't understand what was going on.

'You took the gold disk off him,' Draco explained, 'which should have joined the link to you.'

'But it didn't,' Arrow continued, 'because you're not marked.'

'Marked?'

Arrow rolled back the cuffs on his right arm so that she could see a small, round tattoo inked in black. 'Only someone who has had contact with the _orbis_- or gold disk- can break the connection and rejoin it elsewhere, problem is when you broke it you didn't rejoin it.'

'And what does that mean?' Ginny asked, her brain spinning at the speed of light.

'Nothing, for now.' Ginny didn't like the way he said _for now_, it couldn't foreshadow anything good.

'So why use the _orbis_, or disk, why not use the dark mark like all the other death eaters?' Ginny asked and Draco leant forwards slightly so that she knew he'd been wondering the same thing.

'It's old magic, part of the project we're working on now- it links us back to another era that Voldemort wants to replicate-' He broke off suddenly. 'That was close,' he murmured after a moment, 'too close.'

'You nearly gave away too much,' Ginny guessed and Arrow nodded, a gentle inclination of his head.

'I think we should leave it at that,' Draco said softly and the other two both nodded in agreement.

'One more thing,' Ginny asked, turning back as she got up to leave, 'why do you call me 'little V'?' She expected his face to break into another pirate smile and laugh at her, but instead he looked up at her with deep, solemn eyes.

'That's the most important part.'

**A/N: **Hello! I know it's been a while and I'm so very, very sorry! Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter and pretty please leave me a review! Till the next chapter...


	7. Chapter 7: Shadowed Traitor

**We Walked this Road**

**Disclaimer:** I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. K. Rowling!

Without further ado, I give …  
**Chapter Seven: Shadowed Traitor **

'Are you sure?' Ginny asked, tentatively looking to Draco on her right hand side. They stood in a small village, perched on the shoreline of a black expanse of water. It looked deserted, the bamboo huts all clustered together in a ragged mass with small lanterns hanging on the door posts. The wind, swept mist through the town and the lamps flickered casting odd shadows and causing the wind chimes to tinkle a low, mournful sound. It was like an echo or a shadow of grief that had long since swallowed itself up. Ginny shivered and cast a glance towards the lake that was as still and silent as a statue, it did not lap against the pebbled shores or ripple as the last of the autumn leaves met its surface. Nothing stirred.

'This is where he said to come,' Draco replied in a neutral tone, his face revealing none of his anxiety but Ginny knew the place unnerved him as much as it did her; his hand never left his wand.

'Looks like a graveyard,' Arrow remarked, his eyes sweeping swiftly over the wheat stalks that had grown in neglect and now swayed in the breeze. Ginny saw him slip a small dagger like knife into his boot and started slightly as she recognised the action as identical to her own.

'It is,' Draco replied his voice still steady but his eyes narrowed in apprehension. When neither Ginny nor Arrow made any motion to indicate that they understood his comment, he continued. 'During the Great Purge, when the ministry ordered the destruction of all dark alliances they came here to bury the dead.'

'Where?' Ginny asked, casting a slightly nauseated glance around at her surroundings wandering suddenly if she was treading on the remains of some dark witch or wizard.

'In there,' Draco answered with a dark glance towards the lake.

'Figures,' Arrow remarked, his voice low. Ginny raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. 'If you bury them in the ground people can keep a record,' he explained, 'in there I'll bet no-one knows how many there are.'

'Come on,' Draco said quietly, looking away from Ginny's stricken expression, 'we're wasting time.'

They move slowly away from the rotting dock and into what seemed to be the village square. 'Which one is it?' Ginny asked, gesturing to the surprisingly large number of huts. But before either of her companions could answer, Ginny noticed a shadow move slightly- crossing the ground where the moonlight spilt over. A small, dainty woman stepped forward out of the shadows and Draco, Ginny and Arrow all turned unanimously towards her. She had a tumble of dark curls, pinned above her head and her dress was an intricate design of black material that was so thin it crisscrossed over her, clinging to her arms and waist like a spider's web. Her black eyes were lined with malachite and a strange pattern wound its way up her neck and dancing along her hard jaw line. Around her waist she wore a loose tie that had been decorated with an assortment of talismans and charms, in her hand she carried a lamp and with a single glance from her it lit up with a bright flame.

'So you have come.' Was all she said and then she turned around and walked slowly back to the hut, furthest from the rest, glowing with an amber-y light from inside. Without speaking the three companions followed her, one by one pushing through the gentle veil of chimes that covered her doorway and into the small room inside. It was brightly lit; the walls covered with rambling shelves each stuffed full of ornaments and objects that Ginny couldn't identify. A small window on the opposite side of the room was shut, and in the centre lay a round oak table scattered with amulets, ancient stones and vials of liquid. 'Come, sit,' she gestured to them and they looked to find three chairs seated around the table a candle burning brightly from the centre.

'How did you-?' Arrow began but she cut him off with barely a glance his way.

'There are many forms of magic, not all require a wand,' she murmured and then turned to face them. Ginny sat down in the middle chair, and Draco and Arrow took the seats on either side, neither looking particularly comfortable. 'I assume you have come for a Seeing,' she inquired with a gentle inclination of her head towards Ginny.

'A friend of ours recommended you as a Seer-' Draco began but again she interrupted.

'But it is not to the future that you look, is it?' she demanded, her black gaze flickering towards his face. 'You want me to unravel that which has already been woven into time.' It was not a question but a statement.

'Can Seers do that?' Ginny asked, intrigued, ignoring the warning glare Draco was giving her.

The woman gave a small laugh, '_I _can.'

'How?' Ginny demanded, intrigued.

'Before Seers, there were Prophetesses infinitely more powerful and infinitely more knowledgeable, but the people feared their powers and Prophetesses were persecuted during the Great Purge,' the woman paused, a shadow crossing over her face, 'many of my sisters lie sleeping in the waters.' A silence hung over the room, no one dared breathe. 'The old ways were lost, remembered by only a handful, forced to live in hiding and never reveal to the world their true power- but now you come to me.' Then without warning her head snapped upwards and she surveyed the three through her dark lashes, 'who will go first?'

'I will,' Draco said immediately and Ginny flinched at the hard note that had entered his voice.

'Wait,' she exclaimed and all three turned to look at her, Arrow and Draco sharing a similarly exasperated expression, the woman just looked on keenly. 'What if Snape was wrong, maybe we should just wait till he returns?'

'You heard what Arrow had to say,' Draco explained his tone a mixture of annoyance and mild amusement, 'these people can find you now, we need to be prepared.'

'I am prepared,' Ginny shot back annoyed by his condescension, Arrow sighed loudly and she shot him a dark look. He merely turned the corners of his mouth upwards and ran his hand through his mane of dark curls, his navy blue eyes glittering.

Draco leaned over and took her hand, a shot of electricity spiked up her arm and Ginny jolted from the inside out. Immediately Draco retracted his hand, his jaw line clenching slightly and his eyebrows knitting together. 'I know what you're capable of,' he murmured after a while, 'I don't doubt you, it's just what if no one's there to protect you- and you do something stupid.' Arrow snorted and winked at her.

'Have a little faith partner…,' Ginny began, her voice trailing off as a swift, unrecognisable feeling of familiarity swept through her, 'I won't get killed.' Ginny's voice hit a flat note and she looked up, confused to meet Draco's eyes as an unidentifiable emotion played across his features for a brief moment.

'We need to do this,' Draco said softly but firmly and finally Ginny nodded.

'But I'm going first,' Ginny stated resolutely and her eyes locked with Draco's for a moment before he too returned the nod. Ginny pulled the coarse material of her dragon hide gloves off her hands and offered them up to the woman who had been studying her with an air of shrewd inspection. 'I want to know where I've been.'

'It may be painful,' the woman murmured without compassion, as she swept the surface of the table clean of parchment and runes. Ginny nodded and the woman lent forward, her tangled assortment of necklaces and charms glittering darkly, as she opened up Ginny's palm and traced the contours of her skin.

'You have a destiny about you,' she spoke at once, looking up through heavily lidded eyes to survey Ginny's reaction; she gave none. 'But your past threatens to overcome this.' She paused and then tipped her head back so her mane of dark curls cascaded down her back, her eyes closed she began to speak quickly in a detached, cold tone.

'_He stole from you, memories most precious. Cast into the darkness they came to take you. To consume you with the darkness you sought to destroy. They need you, lover of thy blood. A trial most terrible took all from you, till one dared a sacrifice of magic long since gone. A bond was created, an eternal bond. Life shared between two beings, should one break they shall both surely perish. You found the light but forgot the path back, soon you shall remember.' _

Ginny let out a gasp of pain as the woman released her hand and she felt Draco grasp her shoulder as she heard Arrow leap from his chair, the legs scraping on the cold floor.

'What have you done?!' Arrows voice broke out, rage burning across every syllable.

'I gave her back her soul,' the woman replied her voice coated in indifference.

'Bring her back,' Arrow demanded his voice cold and furious.

'I just did. It is up to her to interpret what I have said.'

Her blinkered vision returning Ginny tried to straighten out and sit up but even with Draco's arm supporting her she could not manage it. A white hand reached forward, black nails clasped around a blue stone cup that was filled with a steaming liquid.

'Drink,' the woman instructed sternly. Ginny hastened to obey with little thought for the way Draco's arms tensed around her. Though it failed to quell the mounting sensation of uneasiness it seemed to sharpen Ginny's senses and restore her to her previous level of awareness. Then just as quickly as the sensation left her it was replaced with a new one and Ginny was vaguely aware of a low mournful cry echoing from shadow to shadow. It was not till the first tear fell, tracing a ragged pathway down her white cheeks, that she connected the cry with her own voice.

'I remember,' she choked, her body shaking as she slammed down her palm against the table's surface and everyone flinched, 'I remember.'

'Not quite everything,' the woman's voice came, slicing through the thickness of silence. Ginny's eyes flashed upwards to meet hers but there was no pity there, only unconcealed curiosity. The lines of Ginny's mouth hardened and she lifted her head higher with trembling defiance.

'What have you kept from me?' she demanded her voice unsteady with fury.

'It is not a question of what I have kept from you,' the woman replied unperturbed by Ginny's cold, hard tone, 'but rather what you have kept from yourself.'

'Explain.' Was all Ginny gave in response.

'When I map someone's future, or past in this instance, I have to knock down the barriers they have in place to guard their minds,' she began, slowly circling the room, her eyes never leaving Ginny's face. 'Sometimes people inadvertently throw up barriers to protect secrets or memories they've supressed. But this time it was a barrier you had not placed there yourself, but rather it had been placed by someone else.'

'The circle,' Ginny guessed immediately, 'but we already knew this; they placed a memory charm on me so that no one would know where I've been.'

The woman shook her head and Ginny fell quiet. 'No. Those barriers, while disturbingly powerful, had cracks and so proved possible to overcome. This barrier had not cracks, not one. And somewhere in the recess of your mind you've always known it was there.'

'But I saw everything I needed to see!' Ginny cried out in frustration, 'What more is there?'

'Did you?' The woman's voice became challenging and again Ginny fell silent. 'Are all your questions answered? Pah! Sure, you know more but do you know everything?'

'There's a gap,' Ginny's voice surprised herself, 'one so small, and yet so big at the same time, I dare not question it.'

'Somewhere between the time you disappeared and the time you were captured,' the woman continued for her, 'something happened to make you leave, something you perhaps had no control over.' Ginny was staring at her hands and missed the sudden blazing look the woman sent Draco, her eyes roaming his face in a knowing manner. 'Beware,' she continued, her eyes returning to Ginny, 'whoever did this is not only powerful but perhaps someone you love, or loved.'

'Why would you say that?' Ginny asked, a cold trickling feeling seizing her stomach.

'Because only someone who loved you could perform such magic and only someone _you_ loved would be able to remain inside your mind.'

There was a sudden scraping noise as Draco pushed out his chair and rose up to a standing position, his face while seemingly passive held eyes that were a torrent of emotion. 'We're done here.' He reached inside his cloak and pulled out a handful of gold coins, tossing them onto the table before giving the room one last sweeping gaze and striding out. Arrow nodded and the faintest look of comprehension dawned in his eyes and his gaze flickered to Ginny momentarily before he too turned to leave.

'A moment, please!' the woman cried as Arrow made to push past the veil of beads and charms that lead outside. She motioned for Ginny to leave, her other hand beckoning Arrow back inside. Ginny hesitated only for a moment , before sweeping past Arrow and following Draco out into the airy night. Closing eyes she attempted to open her mind up, picturing Arrows face and concentrating on the faint mental signal she could feel pulsing from the other side of the wall.

_Probing in other people's minds is rude, you know. _Arrow's voice spoke into her mind and Ginny suppressed a grin and a roll of the eyes.

_Shut up, I want to hear what she's got to say to you. _Ginny snapped in a cross between amusement and frustration.

_Alright, alright, alright. _

The next thing she knew Ginny was back inside the hut. In reality she was standing five metres away from the hut but Arrow had allowed her entrance to his mind and as a result she could see the world from his perspective. The witch turned back to face Arrow, having had her back to him all the while, murmuring softly under her breath.

'I know what you have done,' she said her voice resolute but soft and Arrow flinched at her words. 'Where did you find such magic?'

Arrow bowed his head, 'I don't know. It just came in the moment.'

'Then you have been blessed, but such powers can only be used once in a lifetime.' Arrows eyes snapped up to meet hers.

'Is this what you spoke of, the eternal bond that I have created?' His question was met with a cool nod. 'But what you said should one break, both will surely perish, what did you mean by that?'

A startling note of terrible sadness entered the witch's eyes as she studied his face. 'You will find out soon enough.'

'But surely that can only mean one thing.'

'Such magic has only been recorded in legend, scattered mentions of the words and I'd dare say there is none alive who would be able to understand the full extent of what you have done.'

'Do you not know the spell yourself?' There was no note of challenge in Arrow's voice only a desperate curiosity.

'None do. The words; the magic, chooses the witch or wizard in the moment and it does not linger.' She eyed him one last time. 'Remember that, the magic would not have chosen you without reason. You have a destiny one to be revered and feared, equal part triumphant and defeated.'

She turned away and Ginny knew from her manner that the meeting had come to a close. The world swayed before her eyes and she could feel herself being ripped back from Arrow's mind and within seconds she had returned to herself, breathing in ragged, deep breaths of the cool night air. Then it was gone. Ginny's mind was spinning so fast that she failed to realise what was wrong for a good few seconds but once her senses returned she was able to feel the spike of fear searing its way through her, gripping her insides in a cruel, relentless fashion. Someone's hand was around her mouth and she could feel their wand resting dangerously at the nape of her neck.

'I wouldn't try it.' The voice was low and dangerous with the slightest hint of amusement as Ginny twisted her body ready to attack.

Ginny ignored them; reaching out to grab the restraining hand and twist it backwards, up under her attackers shoulder. She managed to wrench free of his grasp before his wand hand came down in a lightning fast strike across her face and she stumbled backwards her right cheekbone throbbing. Rethinking her stance she lashed out with her left foot to the back of his leg hoping to unbalance him. He fell to the ground, rolling over onto his side neatly dodging her secondary blow with a flick of a wrist top meet her right fist. Lunging out his foot he was unable to land the blow to her left hip as she flipped over to the side, having anticipated his move seconds before. Jumping to his feet with surprising agility he reached forward to grab her left arm, swinging her back around so that she hit the ground with resounding force. Not missing a beat Ginny rolled over onto her side to miss the hex he sent at her, but a searing pain in her left arm pulled her up short when she made to get to her feet; he'd dislocated her shoulder.

With an injury Ginny gradually began to lose ground over the ferocity of her opponent who sent blow after blow at her, relentless in his physical and magical attack. She'd never encountered this kind of combat and she could tell from the way his mouth twisted upwards as he advanced towards her, he knew it too.

'Give it up Ginevra,' he said as she tumbled to the ground for the third time after he landed a blow to her right knee. Slipping her wand under her sleeve she sent a wordless jinx at him but he deflected it with such ease Ginny was beginning to feel desperate. He was a step away from her when she struck out with her foot, dislodging his balance just enough for her to regain her standing position and strike a punch to his left side, sending him to the ground. Not prepared to give up her momentary advantage she flipped over so that she sat atop him, straddling his torso.

'It's Ginny,' she spat, her wand at his throat and her eyes flashing dangerously.

He merely sighed and a strange look of disappointment crossed his hard, dark features. 'You've gotten sloppy without your old training.' Ginny realised a second too late that she'd fallen victim to the very move she'd executed so many times against opponents; his wand was placed strategically so that it hovered right above her neck, poised to attack.

'So it's a standoff then,' she hissed her heart beating at a hundred miles an hour.

'I don't think so, Ginevra,' he replied with a self-satisfied smirk. 'It's down to the first person to cast a spell and I think we both know who that's going to be.'

'Who are you?' she burst out and a look of surprise played across his eyes briefly. But before he could even open his mouth to reply she'd found her answer; a small metal chain, woven in such an intricate design it was confusing to the eye, wound its way around his neck. 'The Rebel Alliance,' Ginny spat her voice conveying her disgust.

'May freedom reign,' her attacker swore his eyes glinting.

'So this is what has become of your _freedom fighters_, attacking the only people who stand with you in this war,' she demanded her voice still drenched in aversion and equal part incredulity. 'How did you find me?'

'We've been following you for a while now but when we realised you were consorting with practisers of dark magic,' he broke off to give a disgusted flick of his head towards the hut where the prophetess had been moments before, 'we knew we had to act quickly.'

'Why? What do you want with me?' She asked, her wand inching deeper and deeper into the base of his throat.

'You disappeared into the hands of the Circle,' he managed to choke out as her eyes continued to pierce into his. 'They need you. You're a weapon for their side.'

Ginny made to reply, her heart thudding at his words when she felt a sharp pain to the back of her head and the world went black.

…

'What do you mean she's gone?' Draco looked around from where he'd been securing the portkey; a broken and battered pocket watch. His face had contorted into a series of hard contours and his hand instinctively reached for his wand, ready to take up an offensive stance.

'I don't know alright!' Arrow snapped back, running a desperate hand through his hair. 'I just came out and she was gone, there were no tracks, nothing.'

'You let her go!' Draco squared his shoulders, facing Arrow with an air of disgust and dangerous ferocity.

'Hey!' Arrow shouted back, his eyes glinting dangerously. 'I wasn't the one outside with her.'

Draco turned around with inhuman speed, his eyes blazing he crossed the strip of grass in a couple of strides. 'I would never. Do you understand? I would never let her go where I couldn't protect her.' His voice was low and ragged with emotion.

Arrow met his gaze, their standing equal. 'Nor would I.' The two stared at each other for a few passing moments before Draco nodded and Arrow inclined his head.

'Someone must have taken her.'

'How?' Arrow demanded. 'I thought we had every angle covered. No-one could have gotten within a twenty mile radius without setting off the dark detectors.'

Draco kicked up a rut of grass on the banks of the hill where they stood, his frustration aimed directly at himself; he shouldn't have walked away from her but he'd been conscious of her expression the last time he'd hovered near her. Now he'd let her slip away. Again. The wind had hit a flat note and the lake's dark chasm seemed to open up to the night sky; a wide cavern of grief.

'What if,' Draco began slowly as he turned over a hundred different theories in his head, 'it wasn't a dark force this time? Think about it, why would they want her now? It makes no sense; release her and then recapture her so soon and, like you said, we'd know if there had been dark forces at work.'

'But who else would want her?' Arrow demanded.

'Well,' Draco said, pausing as comprehension dawned in his eyes and he swore under his breath.

'What?' Arrow said sharply as he turned back to face Draco again. 'What is it?'

'Think about it,' Draco said, 'what if they didn't want her for themselves what if they wanted her because they were scared of why others would want her.'

'But-' Arrow began but he broke off as he too hit the same conclusion Draco had made seconds before. 'The Rebel Alliance.'

'Exactly,' Draco said. 'They're the only ones with the resources to follow her and take her from within our grasp, the only ones who could understand the significance of her original capture and release and the only ones with the damn nerve to steal her away from us.'

'They must realise the danger she poses to our faction in this war,' Arrow added as he followed Draco's train of thought. 'So what do we do?'

'Well,' Draco said with the echo of a grin, 'we break her free, of course.'

'And make enemies of possibly the only allies you have against the Circle?' Arrow asked his face beginning to mirror Draco's smile of anticipation. 'You're not worried that they might have taken her down?' He asked, his smile fading a little as the new thought struck.

'Are you?' Draco asked, his grin becoming more pronounced.

'Not even a little.' Arrow replied his smile returning at the thought of Ginny; she'd keep them fighting till they got there.

**Well, there you have it! Sorry it took so long but I've been so busy what with Christmas and the New Year- hope you all had fabulous holidays! Anyway, please leave me a review with your thoughts and what not! Till the next chapter, it promises to be an occasion…**


	8. Chapter 8: Know Thy Enemy

I acknowledge that i own none of the characters or ideas (except those of my own creation and even they tend to get away from me!) and i give full credit to the true master-mind J. K. Rowling!

Without further ado i give you...  
Chapter Eight: Know Thy Enemy

Ismene paced angrily up and down the small antique room, it's quaintness was suffocating rather than attractive. In her hand she held a scrunched up photograph of a young man with platinum blond hair and icy blue eyes. 'How dare you?' she hissed her voice quivering with rage. 'What did I ever do to you?' she demanded, throwing the balled up picture across the room so it bounced off the wall. 'I'll beat you in the end, I'll do it!' _Let your anger be your strength, let you hatred be your ally and your weapon. _

…

'Harry, I know they'll find whoever did this,' Hermione placated, her voice trembling with emotion; a torrent of sickening anxiety and fear. 'The whole Order is out there looking for her, it's not like last time.' The news had just arrived and Hermione could still remember the first time it'd happened.

Harry was bent over the wooden table, hands clenching fiercely at the sides, breathing hard. Ron lent against the adjacent counter, his expression one of disbelief and a harsh shade of defeat. Hermione had abandoned his side to walk towards Harry's tense figure, her arm outstretched warily; both to console and keep him at arms-length. She fell short of reaching his shoulder when he suddenly looked up, green eyes searching, and spoke. 'But how? How Hermione?' He demanded impatiently, 'how could this have happened? Again.'

Hermione opened her mouth and closed it again, Ron looked up at her expectantly but she avoided his gaze. 'I don't know,' she admitted, feeling desolation spike through her as Ron's head fell forward once again.

'How could Draco let this happen?' Harry demanded after several moments of silence, lifting himself up to walk around the table in an agitated motion. 'He swore he'd have all the angles covered.'

'You don't think, maybe…,' Ron spoke for the first time, trailing off in a conflicted nature.

'What?' Harry questioned, his eyes emboldening Ron to go on.

'I know it's a little farfetched, but what if Draco has something to do with this?' He paused for a moment and then continued onwards hurriedly, noting the way Hermione was glaring at him. 'Look at the facts, Ginny's disappeared twice now, and both times she was on her own with Draco, see how easy it would have been for him?'

'That's not funny, Ron,' Hermione snapped, straightening up irately, 'You know Draco's on our side, he's proven his loyalty enough times. We can't afford to distrust each other, not now. '

Ron did not back down under Hermione's harsh censure, pushing forward, 'How do we actually know he's on our side? What proof has he ever really given us that he's not a double agent. That's twice I've trusted him with my sister and twice he's failed us.'

Harry interjected quickly, noting the violent look that had passed over Hermione's expression, 'You weren't there, Ron. On that day, when Ginny went missing, you didn't see the look in his eyes, no one can fake that. Besides, Hermione's right; it was Dumbledore who initiated Draco, we owe him our trust.'

'And anyway, she wasn't alone with him this time,' Hermione added suddenly, as if it were an afterthought that had just struck her.

Harry's head snapped up, 'What?'

Hermione went on tiredly but not without interest, 'Lupin told me, when Draco reported her missing, he also informed the Order of a new mission companion, Arrow Wood.'

'Do we have anything on this Arrow?' Harry asked, taking on a manner of keen attention.

'Actually we have quite a bit,' Hermione answered, 'he's an ex-auror, turned death-eater after some confrontation with his father, possible coercion, anyway he became a known assassin, and from what I hear a very good one at that. Then he disappeared off the radar for a while, no reports of any activities until three years ago, he was allegedly involved in the attempted freeing of a prisoner of the Circle.'

Ron let out a low whistle, 'I bet Voldemort didn't like that.'

'Well no, but somehow he managed to get away with his life, possibly because it was around the time his father secured the pact with the giants for the death-eaters.'

'Hold up,' Harry interrupted, his face contorting in concentration, 'he was involved in a prison break three years ago from the Circle, you say?'

'Attempted prison break,' Hermione corrected, her eyes searching his face for a clue as to where he was leading this, 'why?'

'Well, that'd be around the time Ginny was taken by them, he may have been involved.'

'Of course!' Ron exclaimed, eyes glinting, 'and Ginny wouldn't remember him so it's the perfect opportunity for him to get in cosy with her and Draco before springing a trap on them both.'

Harry's eyebrows shot up as he contemplated this new idea, but Hermione was sceptical. 'Draco and Ginny aren't stupid Ron, they'd figure if something was up. Besides I'm sure Draco wouldn't continue partnering with this Arrow if there was any chance he was playing two roles at once.'

'What are you saying, Hermione?' Harry asked, looking up so that he met her gaze.

She paused momentarily before saying, 'I think, he's on our side. For now.'

Harry inclined his head, acknowledging the logic of her argument. 'Fine but I'm going back to help them,' he added resolutely.

Hermione jumped up from the seat she had only just fallen back into a moment before, surprise and disbelief blazing across her careworn features. 'No! Harry, you can't!'

Harry continued as if she had not interrupted, 'You and Ron are perfectly equipped to carry on with the mission, besides there are only a few more ends to tie up.'

Hermione stepped forward to interject again but Ron got there first, his tone slightly calmer and more diplomatic, 'Woah, mate just hang on a sec. If anyone has a right to be going back it's me, she's my sister.'

'I know, but I'm not going to just sit around this time,' Harry responded in a tired sort of manner, shrugging his shoulders. 'If you want to leave too, then I won't stop you.'

'No-one's going anywhere!' Hermione said cutting off, Ron's response.

'Look mate, I know how you feel,' Ron put forward when Harry continued packing, ignoring the wild, desperate note in Hermione's voice. 'I'm scared for her too, but running off into the night isn't going to help anyone. Believe me, I know.' Harry felt short at Ron's words, running an exasperated hand through his hair before turning back to look both his companions in the eye.

'I know you do, but this is something I have to do,' he said quietly, 'I'm sorry.' He addressed the last part to Hermione who on hearing this collapsed back into the chair, burying her head in her hands. 'Look after her,' he added to Ron, who merely shook his head and let out a long sigh.

'It's not right,' he murmured after a moment of cold silence.

'Maybe,' Harry said, pausing to turn back at the entrance of the tent, 'but so would be doing nothing.'

She was lying to him. He could tell from the way she turned her hand in an incongruent gesture, the way her breathing came just a second out of time with her voice but most of all he could tell from the way her voice slipped and slid like honey; her charm set off warning bells. She wasn't particularly talented at deception, but he would have been sorry if she was.

Draco leant in closer to the girl, his voice razor sharp, 'You just tell him, Blackbird is here.' The girl's eyes widened, anxiously darting between the icy blue eyes of her interrogator and his dark, cloaked companion.

'I don't know what you mean,' she stammered, unconsciously turning her head to check over her shoulder. It was only then that he noticed the branding mark just behind her ear, a number burnt into the flesh by a twist of magic and cruelty.

Draco lowered his voice, softening his gaze and beseeching her with a gentle smile, 'Just tell your master, it'll be worth his while,' he murmured, pressing a galleon into the small of her palm. She froze at the sight of the coin, before her gaze flickered back up to his and with a nervous inclination of her head she turned and scampered down the dank corridor.

'She's a flighty one,' Arrow remarked from behind the shadow of his hood, 'do you think she'll get him, or make a run for it?'

'She'll get him,' Draco replied with quiet confidence, 'I made sure of it.'

'I noticed,' Arrow commented mildly, referencing Draco's subtle use of the imperious curse as she'd met his gaze. 'Just wanted to know if you'd own to it.'

Draco let a small smile slip by the corner of his mouth, as he gazed around the dingy shop that lay just beyond the reaches of the notorious market they'd navigated their way through an hour ago. 'Imperious curse, Black Dragon Market,' he added with a rueful smile, 'comes within the territory.'

The two fell silent as a pitter-patter of feet became apparent; a moment later the small girl emerged still looking slightly dazed. 'He will see you, sir, please come this way.' She gestured after her and both Draco and Arrow, swept behind the counter to follow her nervous trail. When they came to the end of the corridor the girl motioned for them to go through a dark veil of curtain with trembling fingers. On the other side lay a rather surprising scene, though neither Draco nor Arrow showed any such inclination, there sat a slightly balding man, with a large protruding belly and a number of golden teeth that glinted as he stretched his mouth into a wide smile.

'Well, well, well,' he said with a cheerfully booming voice, 'you're not the Blackbird I know.' He set down the copy of the Daily Prophet he'd been reading, on a small table by a large fireplace. He gestured for Draco and Arrow to enter the room, and motioned for the girl to leave. 'Can I tempt you?' he asked once she'd left, getting slowly to his feet, and picking up a large sherry decanter.

'No,' Draco replied but with a look from Arrow he continued reluctantly, 'thank you for the offer but we're here on urgent business which cannot be delayed.'

'Hence why you chose to impersonate one of my clients,' the man added with a raised eyebrow, 'which I believe, even under today's sordid affair of a ministry, could have you penalised.' Arrow smirked slightly at the man's reference to the Ministry of Magic.

'Please, by all means, have us arrested if it would make you more comfortable,' Draco replied unconcernedly, as he paced comfortably throughout the room. 'Of course, I'm sure the ministry would also be glad to hear about your prophets in the slave industry.'

The man let out a loud, booming laugh, sitting back down in his armchair to appraise his two companions, before speaking, 'You've got nerve, boy, I like that,' he said finally, 'the name's Artemis Finch. But if you're hoping to arrest me, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you.'

'Oh?' Draco asked, turning around from the mantelpiece where he'd been brooding over an image in a photograph.

'You see, she's not a slave, well, not anymore that is,' he explained, 'freed her five years ago, she works for me out of choice, seems to think she owes me a debt.' He watched Draco and Arrow exchange quick glances, 'I'll have to give her a tip for fooling you two at the door today. You see she's quite gifted, she knew who you were immediately, Draco Malfoy and Arrow Wood.'

'How do you know us?' Arrow demanded, his hand reflexively slipping down to his wand.

'Same way you know me,' Artemis replied casually but with one eye on Arrow's wand, 'I have contacts all over.'

'That's why we're here,' Draco interjected, motioning subtly for Arrow to back down, 'word has it that if we're looking for someone you're the person to find.'

'What is it you want from me?' Artemis asked, his shrewd gaze turning on Draco.

'The Blackbird,' Draco answered, 'he's a client of yours.'

'That's correct, but I don't see what it has to do with you, precisely,' Artemis remarked with keen attention.

'We want to talk to him,' Draco replied.

'What makes you think I know where he is?' Artemis demanded, 'I have hundreds of clients, I don't keep records, if I did I wouldn't be so profitable.'

'Except he's not just any client is he,' Draco remarked, his gaze fixed intently upon Artemis' reaction. 'He's working for the freedom fighters, isn't he?'

'What the devil is wrong with you, boy?' Artemis half yelped, eyes darting wildly around the room. Neither Draco nor Arrow seemed in the slightest bit perturbed. 'You can't just go throwing things like that around; don't you know we're at war?'

Draco sat back in his chair, studying Artemis for a moment long before continuing in an almost pensive tone, 'You see, I did wonder, you're well known for your dabbling, but the Rebel Alliance, that seemed a little out of your zone, Artemis Finch.'

'I have nothing to do with that band of misfits, and nor do any of my clients!' Artemis protested agitatedly. 'I'd like you to leave.'

'But like I said, the Blackbird's not just any old client,' Draco continued, ignoring Artemis' interjections.

'I demand you leave!' Artemis said reaching for the bell on the little table beside him, but with a flick of Arrow's wand the bell swung off the table and across to the other side of the room.

'You want to know what gave it away?' Draco asked, ignoring the now red-ish shade of Artemis' expression, Artemis opened his mouth to retort but Draco cut him off, 'the picture on your mantelpiece.' Artemis fell short of his sentence, mouth still hanging slightly open as he followed Draco's gaze up to the mantelpiece where a photograph of a handsome young man, with green eyes and honey-brown hair stood, smiling boldly out at the camera. 'You've been the Rebel Alliance's supplier for three years, giving them everything they need, weapons, food, magical artefacts, anything the Blackbird asked for, and why? Because he's your son.'

Artemis' gaze slid away from the photograph, down to his lap where his hands lay trembling ever so slightly at the fingertips. 'He was so excited,' Artemis said suddenly, his voice weary with fatigue and emotion, 'when the war came, ready to rush off with the ministry and defeat the deatheaters, all the glory of battle. But they didn't want him. He had a history of petty crimes.' He reached over to the decanter poured himself a large glass of sherry and downed it in one before he continued, his voice now a little steadier.

'I thought it was all over, was ready for him to join me in business. But then one night, out of the blue, this man turns up at the counter asking for Mordred, that's his real name, all this Blackbird nonsense is just a disguise. I thought Mordred was in some kind of trouble with the ministry, thought he might have nicked something, turns out this man was Dorian Noble; he wanted my son for the freedom fighters. Well, I put my foot down, told him there was no way, but Mordred; he was so desperate to go…'

'So you let him,' Draco added, 'how long has it been since you last saw him?'

Artemis let out a long breath before answering, 'must be about a month now, last time he was real excited said he was about to make his career if he could just track them down.'

'Who?' Arrow demanded. 'Track who down?'

'I don't know, wouldn't tell me anything, all those years I gave up for him, and he doesn't tell me a thing, I only see him about three times a year.'

'What did he ask for this time?' Draco asked intently, gently resting his hand on Artemis' shoulder.

'Why?' Artemis demanded all of a sudden, shaking off Draco's hand. 'What do you want with him?'

'We don't want to hurt him,' Draco said quickly, 'we just need to talk to him. We think he has one of our people.'

Artemis studied his face in an almost desperate manner, 'I just want my boy back.'

'We'll help you,' Draco promised, 'just tell us where to find him. Please.' He was working very hard to forget the fact that this man's son had been the one to capture Ginny.

'Orogon Square, three miles north of here, underneath the bell tower there's an underground entrance, I followed him once, but it'll be heavily guarded.' Artemis said it all a hurried whisper, before turning away to pour himself another glass of sherry. Draco signalled to Arrow, it was time to leave; they both reached the black veil before Artemis spoke again. 'There was a girl, the other day, asking the same questions.'

Draco swivelled round, his expression unreadable, 'What girl? What did you tell her?'

'Nothing,' Artemis replied with a distant smile, 'she had the nerve to threaten me with a werewolf, but that's not all; she was also looking for you, had a photograph.'

'What did she look like?' Draco demanded.

'Small, fragile little thing with big dark eyes and long black hair,' Artemis replied, scrunching up his large nose as he concentrated on the memory.

'Did she leave a name?' Arrow asked, his face had turned slightly whiter and he clenched his wand in an agitated manner.

'No,' Artemis replied, 'I don't believe she did.'

'And she let you go?' Draco asked a little bemused, 'without any information, she just let you go.'

'I don't think she wanted to cause trouble,' Artemis replied with a contemplative look, 'I had the uncanny notion that she wasn't meant to be there, and knew it all too well.'

'Did you notice anything else about her? Anything distinguishing?' Arrow demanded.

'No…, although she had the most peculiar ring on her finger; a big dark jewel with two dragons engraved on either side, looked something like the crest of Trillian.'

Both Draco and Arrow turned a little paler, casting one last glance around the rambling room they hurried back down the corridor, past the girl at the counter and back out into the bustling alleyway of the market place.

'What does the name Ismene Trillian, mean to you?' Draco demanded as soon as they were out of the shop, turning his face towards Arrow's, his eyes scrutinising him in a piercing manner.

'Lots of things, none of them good,' Arrow replied. 'I'll tell you what, though from what I know, it's essential to the Circle.' When Draco made no reaction and gave no reply Arrow continued, a little ruefully, 'you'd already guessed as much.'

'The name kept cropping up, back when I was at the Order's headquarters, Ginny and I were investigating links just before you arrived,' Draco explained as they pushed their way through the straggling crowd, heading for the next turning where their portkey lay. 'We found an old jeweller's place, and a man who knew something of the ring, but apparently we weren't the first to get there, somebody had already persuaded him to sell it, a girl.'

'I know,' Arrow said heavily, 'I know the girl too.' Draco nodded but didn't press for details. 'She's related, it's all related; her, Ginny, the ring, the Circle and Voldemort.'

'Do you believe him about the underground entrance?' Draco asked, moving the conversation forward, away from haunting reminiscence.

'He has no reason to lie to us, not now,' Arrow remarked, 'but breaking in will be no easy task.'

Draco smiled, 'I know just the man for the job.' It was time to call in a favour with an old friend,

…

Dorian Noble lifted his head at the sound of feet hitting the cold, marble floor. Though he appeared old and withered his mind was as keen and shrewd as ever and he knew, before the oak doors had even swung open, who was on the other side.

'Mordred,' he murmured softly, as the light haired youth stepped into the light, 'I hope you bring me good tidings.' There was nothing threatening in the way he said it, but Mordred understood the implied meaning.

'Indeed,' Mordred replied delicately, lowering his head in a gesture of respect to the elder who sat high above him at the round table. Three other men sat with him but none of them had lifted so much as a fingernail at his arrival. 'I've apprehended priority two.' Dorian showed no outward display of surprise or pleasure, merely raising an eyebrow.

'Have you really?' he asked tonelessly. 'And how did you manage such a remarkable feat.'

'With great skill and effort, and no small amount of luck,' Mordred answered honestly. 'It was not without the help of others; had it not been for Romulus I would not have succeeded.'

'Indeed? Well then we owe him our thanks. He will be promoted, but now you must show me your spoils,' Dorian incited as he rose from his chair and approached his young apprentice. Mordred nodded, turning his back on Dorian to motion for the guards to open the doors.

Two men entered the room, dragging a small figure into the room. The prisoner's hands had been magically bound behind their back, their head bowed as the guards deposited them in the middle of the room. Dorian clapped his hands and the guards left, leaving the prisoner alone with the two men. Dorian gazed intently at the huddled figure before approaching, kneeling down to their level and using his fingers, propping up their chin so their face came into view.

'Well done, Mordred,' Dorian praised as he stared into his prisoner's eyes, 'very well done.'

'She put up a good fight,' Mordred added, brushing off his master's praise.

'I have no doubt of that,' Dorian remarked with a slight note of amusement, this was Ginevra Weasley after all and she'd just gotten her mind back.

**Hullo readers! Woah, sorry for the wait! Can't promise I'll be any quicker this time either, but I hope it was worth it. Thought I'd take a little break from Ginny's POV, but she'll be back next chapter! Please leave me your thoughts, views, critiques and hopes for next time! **


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